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 Death Valley National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Death Valley National Park
Long-billed Curlew
Numenius americanus
Hudsonian Whimbrel
Numenius hudsonicus
Least Sandpiper
Calidris minutilla
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Western Sandpiper
Calidris mauri
Long-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceus
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatus
Wilson's Phalarope
Phalaropus tricolor
Dunlin
Calidris alpina
Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipes
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Whimbrel in Death Valley National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Whimbrel sighting in Death Valley National Park, based on 47 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Whimbrel in Death Valley National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Whimbrel in Death Valley National Park in our monthly data.