Sunday, September 18, 2016

LITTLE CURLEW

Photographed at Broome (WA), September 2016
808             LITTLE CURLEW        Numinous minutus

Australia         (652)

Also known as Little Whimbrel. 30-36 cm. Found on dry grasslands, floodplains, margins of drying swamps; tidal flats, airfields, playing fields crops, commercial salt fields, sewerage ponds. Breeds Arctic Siberia: migrates from s. China to s. PNG and n. Aust in Sept., returning by April. Very large numbers disperse over grasslands of n. WA, NT and nw Q in wet season; singles or small parties casual to c., e. and se Aust. in summer; vagrant to Tas.