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8

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) German name(s): "Regenbrachvogel" Size: 38-43 cm; wing span 75-90 cm Weight: 310-490 g

Europe: Family Group 8 Family Group 8 Table Ruddy Turnstone Common Snipe Bar-tailed Godwit Black-tailed Godwit Eurasian Curlew Whimbrel Little Curlew Sanderling Temminck's Stint Little Stint Dunlin Purple Sandpiper Common Greenshank Common Redshank Spotted Redshank Lesser Yellowlegs Wood Sandpiper Curlew Sandpiper Common Sandpiper Green Sandpiper Ruff Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Whimbrels are medium-sized, long-billed shorebirds. They have a dark grey-brown with light-grey streaked head, neck and chest, with two prominent parallel dark-brown stripes running the length of the cap. The belly and vent are off-white with some brown streakng, while the wings are boldly scalloped light and dark grey-brown. The uppertail is barred. Their plumage is cryptic, i.e. camouflaged, against the background of a mudflat. The dark-grey bill is long and curved downwards, with a lighter, pinkish base of the lower mandible. Adult females have a longer bill than males. Legs and feet are grey. Twitcher's tip Compared to other members of the Numenius family, Whimbrels are by far the most vociferous. Their calls carry over long distances. The correct identification of waders ("shorebirds"), e.g. of the Calidris, Tringa, Actitis etc. or of the Charadrius, Pluvialis and related genera in the field can be quite tricky. We have therefore made an attempt to give some advice HERE. "Raptors" (or "birds of prey"), most prominently, but also some species of waders, show a pronounced "dimorphism", i.e. a difference between male and female birds - not just in the appearance of the plumage, but in other, important properties, such as size or strength. Here we explain why.

Taxonomy, classification See Whimbrel at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Whimbrel is available HERE . There are 7 extant races of Whimbrels, which are a migratory species. They breed in various subarctic areas, in North America, Europe, as far South as Scotland, and Asia. The various races spend the northern winters along the coastlines of southern North America, South America, Africa, Arabia and of southern Asia into Australasia. During their migration they can be found in (mostly coastal) wetlands along their relatively well-defined migration routes. In Europe Whimbrels, race "phaeopus", are found as breeding migrants only in the northernmost parts of Scandinavia, beyond the Arctic circle. Whimbrels' preferred habitats are coastal estuaries, mangrove swamps and mudflats.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "phaeopus" G. Pinelas reports finding Whimbrels, nominate race "phaeopus", on various occasions during their migration along the coastline of southern to central Portugal. J. Pires reports finding Whimbrels, nominate race "phaeopus", on various occasions during the non-breeding season and during their migration in different locations along the coastline of southern to central Portugal. They were also found on various islands of the Azores in November 2018. R. Normand reports finding Whimbrels, race "phaeopus", at Damgan (Morbihan), Bretagne, France, in August 2020. More photos shown below are of birds found by M. Thomas on Tenerife in September 2016 and by M. Eaton in South Africa in October 2018. We have previously found Whimbrels, nominate race "phaeopus", in Oman. Race "variegatus" Whimbrels, race "variegatus", have also been observed by us in Australia.

Photos

Race "phaeopus"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Whimbrel - note the short bill (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Quinta de Marim, Ria Formosa, Olhao, Faro, Algarve, Portugal, November 2021]

Near-frontal view of a male Whimbrel (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[October 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Whimbrel looking sideways; note the comparatively short bill
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Alges, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2017]

Near-lateral view of a male Whimbrel (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Alges, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2017]

Near-lateral view of a male Whimbrel issuing its call (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Alges, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2017]

Lateral view of a male Whimbrel (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Pico Island, Azores, November 2018]

Lateral view of a male Whimbrel; note the worn plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[October 2018]

Three resting Whimbrels, probably all males (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, near Lisbon, Portugal, April 2019]

Lateral view of 2 Whimbrels, probably both males, taking off (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, near Lisbon, Portugal, January 2023]

Lateral view of a male Whimbrel in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Murraceira, Figueira da Foz, Portugal, February 2019]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Whimbrel; note the comparatively long bill (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, April 2018]

Lateral view of a female Whimbrel (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, March 2017]

Lateral view of a female Whimbrel (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, April 2018]

Lateral view of a female Whimbrel (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, April 2018]

Whimbrels taking walking with the surf; female on the right (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Dafundo, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal, March 2018]

PAIR

Group of 4 Whimbrels; based on the length of the bills the bird at centre back is probably a male, the one at the back right a female; the sex of the birds in the foreground is unknown (photo courtesy of R. Normand)
[Damgan (Morbihan), Bretagne, France, August 2020]

Sex unknown

Near-dorsal view of a Whimbrel (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, March 2017]

Dorsal view of a Whimbrel (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, March 2017]

Small flock of Whimbrels walking towards the observer (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Dafundo, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2018]

Small flock of Whimbrels collectively taking a bath (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Dafundo, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2018]

Lateral view of a Whimbrel at take-off (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, April 2018]

Flock of Whimbrels taking off from a beach (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Dafundo, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal, March 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Whimbrel in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado estuary, Setubal, near Lisbon, Portugal, April 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Whimbrel banking to land (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Quinta de Marim, Ria Formosa, Olhao, Faro, Algarve, Portugal, November 2021]

Dorsal view of a Whimbrel in flight, with a clear view of the "white wedge" from rump to back (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Moita do Ribatejo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, April 2019]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Whimbrel - note the neat plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[October 2018]

Lateral view of a juvenile Whimbrel - note the neat plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[October 2018]

Lateral view of a juvenile Whimbrel (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[September 2016]

Whimbrels, race "phaeopus", have previously been photographed by us in Oman.

Race "variegatus"

Whimbrels, race "variegatus", have been photographed by us in Australia.

Food, Diet

Although normally specialised on molluscs and crustaceans, Whimbrels have been seen by us to also take fruit.

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

whimbrl_20150326_2.m4a	(NE NSW)	Warning/departure	© MD
whimbrl_20150327.m4a	(NE NSW)	?	© MD
whimbrl_20150327_2.mp3	(NE NSW)	?	© MD
whimbrl_20150326.m4a	(NE NSW)	?	© MD
whimbrl_20160920.mp3	(NE NSW)	?	© MD
whimbrl_20160920_2.mp3	(NE NSW)	?	© MD

More Whimbrel sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Wed, 8 February 2023, 23:36 +00:00