This brownish and buff-coloured shorebird is about the size of a pigeon, standing about 30.5 cm tall but with longer legs and a long, down-curving bill. The historical breeding range of the Eskimo Curlew is in the upland tundra of the Northwest Territories, particularly within the Mackenzie District, and possibly also in the Yukon and Alaska.
Historic migration patterns of the Eskimo Curlew. Saskatchewan Environment. Click to enlarge.
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Fall migration has been documented and is thought to occur from July to October. One route passes through Manitoba and Ontario, following along the Hudson and James Bays shorelines, and the other passes through Quebec and Labrador to the Maritime provinces, to the New England states. Shorebirds such as Eskimo Curlews frequent salt marshes, meadows, pastures, old fields, intertidal flats and sand dunes along these routes. From these staging areas, the birds are believed to fly non-stop to South America, where they spend the winter in the pampas (grasslands) of Argentina, and less so in Uruguay and Chile. Their spring migration route back to the Northwest Territories passes through the center of the continent where tall-grass and eastern mixed prairie habitats are preferred.
On the Brink of Extinction
Eskimo Curlews were once a common species in Canada's north and on known Canadian staging areas, with numbers estimated to be in the millions in the mid-nineteenth century. These birds were an important food source for the Dene, Metis, Inuvialuit and Inuit peoples. Extensive hunting by European settlers in the latter part of the nineteenth century was believed to have driven the species to extinction until a confirmed sighting in Texas in 1940.
Since 1975, there have been approximately 18 reports of sightings in breeding, migrating and over-wintering areas, however some were not confirmed. The last reports of possible sightings in Canada are: two birds along James Bay in Ontario during the fall migration in 1976; one bird in the Northwest Territories in 1992; and one bird in Saskatchewan during the spring migration in 1996.
The Eskimo Curlew is very similar in appearance to the Whimbrel, but also bears some similarity to the Long-billed Curlew, Upland Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper and Stilt Sandpiper. Possible sightings of the Eskimo Curlew may be cases of mistaken identity by inexperienced bird watchers. This adds to the challenge in determining the status of the species.
If the Eskimo Curlew is not now extinct, certainly the entire population is very small, possibly less than 50-100 individuals.
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Possible Causes
But was excessive hunting the only reason for such a decline in numbers of the Eskimo Curlew? Some researchers argue that other species have survived similar hunting slaughter, and suggest that another contributing factor may have been the loss of grassland habitats along the spring migration route and possibly some loss or alteration of the pampas in South America. The Eskimo Curlew depends on these habitats for food (primarily grasshoppers, and also grubs, cutworms, and other invertebrates) and protection during migration and in the winter.
Another theory is that, as the Eskimo Curlew's numbers dwindled, the larger and more aggressive Whimbrel successfully displaced the once more abundant curlews, further contributing to their decline.
Other than continued surveys, there are no recovery efforts currently in place for the curlew, owing to the uncertain status of the species. Environment Canada's Canadian Wildlife Service has been searching for migrating and nesting birds periodically since 1958, and annually since 1972, but has found no breeding birds. Biologists have even used recordings of the Little Curlew from Asia (considered by some to be a subspecies of the Eskimo Curlew) to attract curious, or territorial Eskimo Curlews, without success.
Protecting Their Habitat
Mining exploration and other northern developments are occurring in many of the historic breeding sites of the Eskimo Curlew. Protection of these areas, including mandatory environmental assessments before developments take place, and protection and restoration of grassland habitats would be essential if specimens were located. Protecting continental grasslands would not only provide suitable habitat for the curlew during migration and over-wintering, but would also benefit many other endangered grassland species.
To report sightings of the Eskimo Curlew in Ontario, or any other species listed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife (COSEWIC) in Ontario, call the toll-free number of the Species At Risk Recovery and Habitat Stewardship Programs of the Canadian Wildlife Service (Ontario Region): 1-866-833-8888.
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