curlews
Wetland birds, curved-billed
Curlews are large shorebirds with long, downward-curving bills, found on mudflats, marshes, and grasslands across much of the world.
Their distinctive calls—haunting, melodic whistles—have made them symbols of wild, lonely places in literature: The curlew's cry echoed across the moor.
Several species are now endangered due to habitat loss.
Sounding sad, sorrowful
- hauntingDisturbingly unforgettable
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
- echoingReflecting sound repeatedly
- whistleShrill air-blown sounder
cry · evocative · mournful · piercing · distinctive · eerie · wail · trilling
Coastal bird species
- waderShallow-water walker
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
- beakHorny avian mouthpart
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
nesting · eggs · flock · flight · wingspan · breeding · chick · downy
Water-saturated terrain
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- mudflatsCoastal areas exposed at low tide
- saltmarshCoastal wetland with brackish water
- moorlandOpen uncultivated upland
grassland · tidal · intertidal · shoreline · heathland · marsh · sandbanks · reedbeds
Aerial migration corridors
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- overwinteringEnduring the cold months
- breeding-groundsSites where organisms reproduce
- stopoversBrief halts mid-journey
long-distance · navigation · instinct · journeying · flocking · Arctic · African · wintering
At risk of extinction
- decliningDecreasing in strength
- protectedKept from harm
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
recovery · monitoring · sanctuaries · birdwatching · ornithology · wildlife · rewilding · predation
plaintive
Sounding sad, sorrowful
- hauntingDisturbingly unforgettable
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
- echoingReflecting sound repeatedly
whistle · cry · evocative · mournful · piercing · distinctive · eerie · wail · trilling · bubbling
shorebird
Coastal bird species
feathers · nesting · eggs · flock · flight · wingspan · breeding · chick · downy · bill
wetlands
Water-saturated terrain
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- mudflatsCoastal areas exposed at low tide
- saltmarshCoastal wetland with brackish water
moorland · grassland · tidal · intertidal · shoreline · heathland · marsh · sandbanks · reedbeds · upland
flyways
Aerial migration corridors
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- overwinteringEnduring the cold months
- breeding-groundsSites where organisms reproduce
stopovers · long-distance · navigation · instinct · journeying · flocking · Arctic · African · wintering · dispersal
endangered
At risk of extinction
- decliningDecreasing in strength
- protectedKept from harm
- biodiversityRange of life forms
threatened · recovery · monitoring · sanctuaries · birdwatching · ornithology · wildlife · rewilding · predation · ground-nesting
- shorebirdssandpiper, sandpipers, plover, plovers, snipe
- tidal flatsmudflat, mudflats, tidal flats, silt, mud
- wetlandsswamp, swamps, marsh, marshes, marshland
- Wadden Seatidal flats, mudflats, salt marshes, harbor seals, grey seals