Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
FamilyScolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
GenusNumenius (Curlews)
SpeciesNumenius phaeopus (Whimbrel)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Serengeti National Park

3 Verified sightings at Serengeti National Park From 2019 to 2026

16,524 Verified sightings across all 94 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ 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 Serengeti National Park

Numenius arquata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Actitis hypoleucos

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Tringa glareola

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Calidris minuta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Calidris pugnax

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tringa ochropus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tringa stagnatilis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tringa nebularia

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Calidris ferruginea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Gallinago gallinago

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Gallinago nigripennis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Calidris temminckii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

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

← Back to Serengeti National Park

Whimbrel

About the Whimbrel

Recent sightings of Whimbrel in Serengeti National Park

Closest Relatives at Serengeti National Park

Eurasian Curlew

Common Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Little Stint

Ruff

Green Sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper

Common Greenshank

Curlew Sandpiper

Common Snipe

African Snipe

Temminck's Stint

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found