curlew

American  

[kur-loo] / ˈkɜr lu /

noun

1. any of several shorebirds of the genus Numenius, having a long, slender, downcurved bill, as the common N. arquata, of Europe.

2. any of various similar birds.

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curlew British  

/ ˈkɜːljuː /

noun

1. any large shore bird of the genus Numenius, such as N. arquata of Europe and Asia: family Scolopacidae (sandpipers, etc), order Charadriiformes. They have a long downward-curving bill and occur in northern and arctic regions Compare stone curlew

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Etymology

Origin of curlew

1300–50; Middle English < Anglo-French curleu, cognate with Middle French corleu; perhaps imitative

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

curlew

Elmley curlew keeper Simon Higgs said the ground-nesting birds' decline was mainly been due to changing farming practices and an increase in predators.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Numbers of the largest European wading birds have declined by about 50% since 1995, according to the British Trust for Ornithology, putting the curlew on the organisation's conservation concern red list.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Natural England licensed the sites to receive and rear curlew eggs.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Beagan said this nesting bird was particularly exciting as it is the "first record we have had of headstarting curlew being back on breeding grounds and potentially breeding".

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

We sat quietly, the only sounds the occasional cry of the curlew and Lottie’s contented nursing.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

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