Long-billed Curlew
Photo Courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Numenius americanus
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G4
State (S-rank): S3
Utah Wildlife Action Plan status
- SGCN
External links
Species range
(This species occurs as a migrant (transient) throughout most of Utah; however, Walters and Sorensen (1983) had no records of this species from the southeastern quarter of the state. It breeds mainly in the northwestern quarter of the state, ". . . but nesting has been confirmed elsewhere near Fillmore and Milford, Millard County [actually Milford is in central Beaver County], and Parowan, Iron County, and pairs have been seen near Lund, Iron County[,] and Enterprise, Washington County, suggesting that the species nests occasionally at these localities" (Behle et al. 1985). Cook (1984) presented evidence suggestive of nesting in Uintah County, but confirmation of breeding in northeastern Utah is lacking.
Nesting has been confirmed in Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, Uintah, Tooele, Millard, Beaver, and Iron counties. G. V. Oliver, 2001)
Habitat
Arid or desert grasslands are favored nesting habitats of this species elsewhere. It is known to nest in Utah in agricultural croplands, but also utilizes grassy shorelines and arid grasslands during the breeding season, and during migration uses these habitats as well as mudflats (Walters and Sorensen 1983).
Threats or limiting factors
(Hayward et al. (1976) considered "disturbances by man and livestock on its breeding grounds" to be the cause of its population decline in Utah. G. V. Oliver, 2001)