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　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Numenius tenuirostris Written by John P. Rafferty John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate to... John P. Rafferty Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jan 29, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What were the physical characteristics of the slender-billed curlew? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Adult slender-billed curlews measured 36 to 41 cm (14 to 16 inches) long, weighed 255 to 360 grams (9 to 13 ounces), and had a wingspan of 77 to 88 cm (30 to 35 inches). They were mostly white with grayish brown streaks and spots. Although there were few size and plumage differences between males and females, females had longer bills. Juveniles possessed a similar feather patterning, but they lacked the heart-shaped spots of adult specimens." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What led to the slender-billed curlewu2019s population decline? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The slender-billed curlewu2019s population fell during the 20th century because of a variety of factors. The slender-billed curlew was hunted extensively by people, and these birds were victims of habitat loss, which stemmed from the systematic draining of wetlands and the land-use conversion of steppes for agriculture." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is the current conservation status of the slender-billed curlew according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The results of a 2024 population study strongly suggested that the slender-billed curlew has died out. This studyu2014buoyed by the lack of confirmed sightings of the bird since the 1990su2014led several conservation organizations to formally declare the species extinct. The IUCN, however, continues to classify the slender-billed curlew as a critically endangered species until the organization can conduct a formal assessment." } } ] } Top Questions What were the physical characteristics of the slender-billed curlew? Adult slender-billed curlews measured 36 to 41 cm (14 to 16 inches) long, weighed 255 to 360 grams (9 to 13 ounces), and had a wingspan of 77 to 88 cm (30 to 35 inches). They were mostly white with grayish brown streaks and spots. Although there were few size and plumage differences between males and females, females had longer bills. Juveniles possessed a similar feather patterning, but they lacked the heart-shaped spots of adult specimens.

　　What led to the slender-billed curlew’s population decline? The slender-billed curlew’s population fell during the 20th century because of a variety of factors. The slender-billed curlew was hunted extensively by people, and these birds were victims of habitat loss, which stemmed from the systematic draining of wetlands and the land-use conversion of steppes for agriculture.

　　What is the current conservation status of the slender-billed curlew according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)? The results of a 2024 population study strongly suggested that the slender-billed curlew has died out. This study—buoyed by the lack of confirmed sightings of the bird since the 1990s—led several conservation organizations to formally declare the species extinct. The IUCN, however, continues to classify the slender-billed curlew as a critically endangered species until the organization can conduct a formal assessment.

　　slender-billed curlew, (Numenius tenuirostris), wide-ranging migratory shorebird once found in wetlands, grasslands, and intertidal areas on three continents. During the 20th century, the species inhabited Eurasia and Africa, likely migrating from breeding areas located in Central Asia to winter along the coast of northwestern Africa, the Nile River delta, the Tigris and Euphrates delta, and Yemen. The last confirmed sighting of the slender-billed curlew took place in Morocco on 1995, and the species was declared extinct in 2024. Compared with the common, or Eurasian, curlew (N. arquata) and the eastern curlew (N. madagascariensis), both of which grow to be nearly ...(100 of 522 words)

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