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Numenius phaeopus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Whimbrel

G5Secure Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105017
Element CodeABNNF07020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyScolopacidae
GenusNumenius
Other Common Names
Courlis corlieu (FR) Maçaricão-Galego (PT) Zarapito Trinador, Playero Trinador (ES)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Genome-wide, mitochondrial and plumage evidence points to a deep rift between Nearctic and Palaearctic populations, advocating the elevation of North American breeding populations to species level as the "Hudsonian whimbrel" N. hudsonicus (Tan et al. 2019). This proposal was considered but not accepted by the American Ornithological Society’s Committee on Classification and Nomenclature - North and Middle America (AOS 2022). It has been accepted by the IOC World Bird List (Gill et al. 2023).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-09
Change Date1996-11-25
Edition Date2014-07-24
Edition AuthorsJue, Dean K.
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Although still very numerous, close monitoring of the population of this species is warranted because of the potential for changes to its breeding areas with climate change and development of the tidal flats upon which this species relies upon during the winter season.
Range Extent Comments
BREEDS: northern Alaska east to northwestern Mackenzie, south to western and central Alaska and southwestern Yukon, and along western side of Hudson Bay from southern Keewatin south to northwestern James Bay; Iceland, Faroes, and northern Eurasia east to Ob River, and from Yana River east across northeastern Siberia. NORTHERN WINTER: central California, Gulf Coast, and South Carolina south through Middle America, West Indies, and South America to Galapagos Islands, southern Chile, southern Brazil (important wintering areas in Suriname, north-central coast of Brazil, and Chiloe Island in Chile; Morrison and Ross 1989); south to southern Africa, Australia, islands of South Pacific (AOU 1983). Nonbreeders may summer in winter range.
Occurrences Comments
With a global population estimate of between one and two million birds and the various populations being found in North America, Europe and Asia (Birdlife International, 2014), there should definitely be greater than 300 element occurrences for this species.
Threat Impact Comments
The degradation and destruction of coastland wetlands continue (National Audubon Society, 2014; Skeel and Mallory, 1996).). Environmental contaminants are an increase threat (Birdlife International, 2014). Climate change is a large unknown factor since this species breeds in the high northern latitudes.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

BREEDING: Nests in sedge-dwarf shrub tundra, sedge-meadow, hummock-bog, moorlands, and heath-tundra. Nests in depression. Often returns to same nesting area in successive years (Skeel 1983). NON-BREEDING: beaches, tidal mudflats, marshes, estuaries, edges of tidal creeks, sandy or rocky shores, flooded fields and pastures (AOU 1983). Roosts on saltpond flats and dikes, or in mangroves (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Ecology

Nonbreeding: scatters over foraging areas, may defend feeding territory (Hayman et al. 1986); aggregates for sleeping or resting (e.g., at high tide) (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Reproduction

Breeding begins in early June. Usually 2, sometimes 3-5, eggs are incubated by both sexes, 22-23.5 days (also reported as averaging 24.5 days and as 27-28 days). Young are tended by both parents, can fly at about 30-40 days. Nesting density averages 0.1- 0.5 pairs/ha in various habitats in Manitoba (Skeel 1983).
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousTundraCropland/hedgerow
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS2MYes
CaliforniaSNRNYes
OhioSNAYes
OregonSNAYes
South CarolinaS2NYes
IowaS1NYes
MissouriSNAYes
FloridaS2NYes
PennsylvaniaS2MYes
District of ColumbiaS1NYes
MississippiSNAYes
ConnecticutSNAYes
LouisianaS3MYes
KansasS2NYes
MichiganSNRNYes
Rhode IslandS3NYes
GeorgiaS3Yes
MinnesotaSNRMYes
TexasS4Yes
Navajo NationS2MYes
VirginiaSNAYes
New JerseyS4NYes
IdahoSNAYes
New HampshireSNAYes
WyomingS4NYes
MontanaSNAYes
ColoradoSNAYes
NevadaSNAYes
UtahSNAYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
North CarolinaSNAYes
WashingtonS3NYes
DelawareS1MYes
MarylandSNAYes
MaineS2NYes
AlabamaS3NYes
New YorkSNRNYes
OklahomaS1NYes
AlaskaS3BYes
MassachusettsS3NYes
WisconsinSNAYes
CanadaN3B,N4M
ProvinceRankNative
Island of NewfoundlandS2MYes
NunavutS3BYes
LabradorS3MYes
Northwest TerritoriesS3Yes
ManitobaS3BYes
AlbertaSUMYes
Nova ScotiaS2MYes
Yukon TerritoryS3BYes
OntarioS3B,S4MYes
SaskatchewanS4MYes
New BrunswickS3MYes
British ColumbiaS1B,SNRMYes
QuebecS3MYes
Prince Edward IslandS2MYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)

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Roadless Areas (6)
Michigan (1)
AreaForestAcres
FibreHiawatha National Forest7,432
New Hampshire (3)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Pocosin AdditionCroatan National Forest286
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wambaw ExtFrancis Marion National Forest527
References (39)
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