While performing monthly breeding bird surveys, SCCF’s shorebird team was lucky enough to re-sight a long-billed curlew (Numenius americanus) — a rare sighting in Southwest Florida.

“Florida records are sporadic and typically involve one or two individuals per season, with the last recorded Lee County sighting from 2022,” said SCCF Shorebird Technician Sami Hinsz. “Florida is included in the broader wintering range of the curlew, but it is unusual to be found in the area well into the summer.”

North America’s largest shorebird, long-billed curlews use their long, curved bill to probe deep into mud and sand for aquatic invertebrates. 

During the summer months, these birds can be found breeding in the grasslands of the Great Plains and Great Basin, before migrating south to the interior of California, Mexico, and along the Gulf Coast. The species is not endangered, but populations are recorded decreasing due to habitat loss. 

This is the third time the team has encountered this non-breeding late migrant since March, all within the same small area.

“The individual is not banded, but it is highly unlikely there are multiple curlews in the area this late in the year, so we would be fairly confident saying it’s the same individual,” Hinsz said. “The bird being here could be because of storms, weather patterns, or disorientation during migration. It could also be a younger/juvenile bird — there’s no way for sure of saying how it ended up here.”