Long-billed Curlew is a member of the sandpiper family

Birds in this family are called shorebirds. Then, one might ask, why is it that the largest of our North American shorebirds can be observed during the spring and summer months in the semi-arid foothills of southwestern Montana.

The long-billed curlew is a wonderfully odd looking bird that migrates to Montana and other Great Plain States from the coastal regions to breed in grassy wide open spaces or prairies far from anything that resembles a wetland.

The curlew's long bill is between five and eight inches in length and it curves significantly downward. Like many of the other sandpipers, its wings are pointed and designed for speed. The curlew's body is mottled with black and its underparts are tan. Cinnamon underwing linings identify this species while in flight.

Deriving part of its name from a repeatedly ascending cur-lee call, the long-billed curlew was once much more widely distributed, especially back East. Agricultural development and past hunting practices has restricted or even eliminated this bird from much of it historic range.

Nests are built in open grasslands where the curlew's coloration allows it to bend well into the environment. Stretching its neck to the ground while tending the eggs, this bird becomes virtually impossible to see. Prairie insects like grasshoppers and caterpillars sustain the curlew until it can return to the wetlands and coastal regions where food is often more abundant.

With its long decurved bill, the curlew appears to be quite awkward and particularly out of place while standing in the vast open space of our foothills and grasslands. The long-billed curlew has endeared itself, however, to many folks over the years because it is a unique visitor to our region that the hearty Montana can truly appreciate.