ML28695491
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Media notes
This Long-billed Curlew was photographed as it flew overhead by Curtis A. Marantz on 6 May 2016 at Desert Center, Riverside County, California.
Observation details
I heard but initially missed this bird when Louis first saw it in the western part of the golf course in the morning, but we both again heard it and saw the curlew quite well as it foraged in the southern part of the course later in the day. The call given was a loud, "cur-leeeu" that is typical of this species. This was a large shorebird with a notably long bill that was smoothly decurved along about the distal half of its length, a small head but also a relatively long and conspicuously slim neck, and a plump body, relatively short wings and tail, and moderately long legs. We saw no other birds in direct comparison with the curlew, yet my impression was that this bird was both somewhat larger overall and with a longer bill than a Whimbrel. This bird was a warm cinnamon-buff color almost throughout the plumage but the head was at most weakly marked and without obvious stripes, the underparts were at most weakly streaked, and the back and scapulars were spangled with black whereas the wing coverts were paler and more buffy than the rest of the wing, seemingly a bit worn, and with darker shaft-streaks but not much additional pattern. I have only a vague recollection that the tertials were barred, but I suppose this should be shown clearly in our photos. The bill was mostly dark but with the lower mandible pinkish basally, the eyes were dark, and the legs were dark but I failed to notice their color See also a separate description of this bird in shared list by Louis.
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS 7D Mark II
- Lens
- EF400mm f/5.6L USM
- ISO
- 320
- Focal length
- 400 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire, auto
- f-stop
- f/8.0
- Shutter speed
- 1/2000 sec
- Dimensions
- 3183 pixels x 2043 pixels
- Original file size
- 1.3 MB