Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
- GenusNumenius (Curlews)
- SpeciesNumenius phaeopus (Whimbrel)
About the Whimbrel
The Eurasian whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), historically known as the white-rumped whimbrel in North America, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic Palearctic region and Europe as far south as Scotland. This species and the Hudsonian whimbrel were split in 2019, although some taxonomic authorities still consider them to be conspecific.
The Eurasian whimbrel was formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Scolopax phaeopus. It is now placed with the curlews in the genus Numenius that was introduced by Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.
The genus name Numenius is from Ancient Greek noumenios, a bird mentioned by Hesychius. It is associated with the curlews because it appears to be derived from neos, "new" and mene, "moon", referring to the crescent-shaped bill. The specific epithet phaeopus is the Medieval Latin name for the bird, from Ancient Greek phaios, "dusky" and pous, "foot". The English name "whimbrel" is imitative of the bird's call.
Five subspecies are recognised: N. p. phaeopus (Linnaeus, 1758) – nominate... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Whimbrel in Big Cypress National Preserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Big Cypress National Preserve
Long-billed Curlew
Numenius americanus
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipes
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres
Least Sandpiper
Calidris minutilla
Sanderling
Calidris alba
Dunlin
Calidris alpina
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Long-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceus
Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.