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Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) Alternate name(s): "Common Whimbrel", "White-rumped Whimbrel" German name(s): "Regenbrachvogel" Size: 38-43 cm; wing span 75-90 cm Body mass: 320-500 g (male), 400-680 g (female) Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.47/0.80 (male, lean/fat), 0.51/0.88 (female, lean/fat)

Europe: Family Group 8 Family Group 8 Table Ruddy Turnstone Common Snipe Eurasian Woodcock Bar-tailed Godwit Black-tailed Godwit Eurasian Curlew Whimbrel Little Curlew Sanderling Temminck's Stint Little Stint Dunlin Purple Sandpiper Marsh Sandpiper Common Greenshank Common Redshank Spotted Redshank Lesser Yellowlegs Wood Sandpiper Curlew Sandpiper Common Sandpiper Green Sandpiper Buff-breasted 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 Eurasian 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, Eurasian Whimbrels are by far the most vocal and 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 Eurasian 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 Eurasian Whimbrels, race "phaeopus", are found as breeding migrants only in the northernmost parts of Scandinavia, beyond the Arctic circle. Eurasian Whimbrels' preferred habitats are coastal estuaries, mangrove swamps and mudflats.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "phaeopus" G. Pinelas reports finding Eurasian Whimbrels, nominate race "phaeopus", on various occasions during their migration along the coastline of southern to central Portugal. J. Pires reports finding Eurasian 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 Eurasian 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. A. Sarok found Eurasian Whimbrels, nominate race "phaeopus", in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. We have previously found Eurasian Whimbrels, nominate race "phaeopus", in Oman. Race "variegatus" Eurasian Whimbrels, race "variegatus", have also been observed by us in Australia.

Photos

Race "phaeopus"

ADULT

PAIR

Group of 4 Eurasian 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]

MALE

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

Frontal view of a male Eurasian Whimbrel looking sideways (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FEMALE

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

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

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

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

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

Lateral view of a female Eurasian Whimbrel in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal de Alhos Vedros, Moita, Setubal, Portugal, February 2022]

Sex unknown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lateral view of two Eurasian Whimbrels; the bird on the left is likely an adult, the one on the right a juvenile
(photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

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

Race "variegatus"

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

Behaviour

Social behaviour: ?

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Pair/flock

Especially prior to migration at the end of the breeding season Eurasian Whimbrels can form flocks (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado river estuary, Setubal, Portugal, August 2022]

Lateral view of a small flock of Eurasian Whimbrels taking to the air (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado river estuary, Setubal, Portugal, August 2022]

Lateral view of a small flock of Eurasian Whimbrels taking to the air (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sado river estuary, Setubal, Portugal, August 2022]

Food, Diet

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

Near-dorsal view of a Eurasian Whimbrel with its prey, which looks like a mud crab (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas de Vasa Sacos, Tejo estuary, Benavente, Santarem, Portugal, August 2022]

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.