Whimbrel
WhimbrelWhimbrelWhimbrelWhimbrel

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Galápagos Islands
3,447 Verified sightings at Galápagos Islands From 2019 to 2026
16,524 Verified sightings across all 94 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Galápagos Islands

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Hudsonian Whimbrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Numenius hudsonicus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Ruddy Turnstone
NT

Ruddy Turnstone

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Arenaria interpres

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Wandering Tattler
LC

Wandering Tattler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa incana

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Least Sandpiper
NT

Least Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris minutilla

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Sanderling
LC

Sanderling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris alba

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Red-necked Phalarope
LC

Red-necked Phalarope

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phalaropus lobatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Spotted Sandpiper
LC

Spotted Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Actitis macularius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hudsonian Godwit
VU

Hudsonian Godwit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Limosa haemastica

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Semipalmated Sandpiper
NT

Semipalmated Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris pusilla

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Lesser Yellowlegs
VU

Lesser Yellowlegs

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa flavipes

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Western Sandpiper
LC

Western Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris mauri

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Red Phalarope
LC

Red Phalarope

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phalaropus fulicarius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Isla del Coco National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~80%
2 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
~70%
3 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~70%
4 Thingvellir National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
~60%
5 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
~40%
6 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~40%
7 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
8 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
9 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
10 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~30%
11 Bako National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~30%
12 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
13 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
14 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
15 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~30%
16 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
17 Cape Range 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
18 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
19 Raja Ampat 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~20%
20 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
21 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
22 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
23 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
24 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
25 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
26 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
27 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
28 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
29 Komodo National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
30 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
31 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
32 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
33 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
34 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
35 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
36 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
37 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
38 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
39 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
40 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
41 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
42 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
43 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
44 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
45 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
<5%
46 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
47 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
48 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
49 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
50 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
51 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
52 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
53 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
54 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
55 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
56 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
57 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
58 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
59 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
60 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
61 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
62 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
<5%
63 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
64 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
65 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
66 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
67 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
68 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
69 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
70 Gir National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
71 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
72 Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
Insufficient data
73 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
74 Tangkoko Nature Reserve 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
75 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
Insufficient data
76 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
77 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
Insufficient data
78 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
79 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
Insufficient data
80 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
81 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
82 Ranomafana National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
Insufficient data
83 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
Insufficient data
84 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
85 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
86 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
87 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
88 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
89 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
90 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
91 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data
92 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
93 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
94 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Whimbrel in Galápagos Islands?

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Whimbrel sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 3,447 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Whimbrel in Galápagos Islands?

October has the highest sighting rate for Whimbrel in Galápagos Islands in our monthly data.

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