Slender-billed Curlew
Numenius tenuirostris
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Scolopacidae
Genus
Numenius
Slender-billed Curlew belongs to the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes, within the Aves class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The Slender-billed Curlew faces extreme risk of extinction due to severe habitat loss across its breeding and wintering grounds, with wetland drainage and agricultural conversion eliminating critical stopover sites along migration routes. The species has experienced a catastrophic population decline, with no confirmed sightings in recent years despite extensive searches, suggesting the population may have collapsed to near-extinction levels.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Breeds in wet meadows, marshes, and boggy areas in the taiga and forest-steppe zones of western Siberia. Winters in coastal mudflats, saltmarshes, lagoons, and shallow wetlands around the Mediterranean basin and potentially North Africa.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Slender-billed Curlew faces extreme risk of extinction due to severe habitat loss across its breeding and wintering grounds, with wetland drainage and agricultural conversion eliminating critical stopover sites along migration routes. The species has experienced a catastrophic population decline, with no confirmed sightings in recent years despite extensive searches, suggesting the population may have collapsed to near-extinction levels.
Agricultural conversion of breeding grounds
Climate change affecting wetland ecosystems
Hunting pressure along migration routes
Loss of coastal wintering habitats
Wetland habitat loss and degradation
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | CRCritically Endangered | CRCritically Endangered | Same |
| EU | CRCritically Endangered | CRCritically Endangered | Same |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
Report a sightingNo community sightings yet. Be the first to report!
Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/slender-billed-curlew