Quick Answer
The main differences between the Marbled Godwit and curlew are:
- Marbled Godwits are larger, have a longer bill, and longer legs than curlews.
- Marbled Godwits breed in North America and winter on coastlines in the Americas, while curlews breed in Eurasia and winter in Africa, Australasia and the Indian subcontinent.
- Marbled Godwits have a distinctive winter plumage pattern with reddish underparts barred with gray, while curlews do not.
- Marbled Godwits make a distinctive “pyu-pyu-pyu” call in flight, while curlews have a “cur-lee” call.
- There are 6 species of curlews and only 1 species of Marbled Godwit.
Taxonomy and Identification
The Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) and curlews are large shorebirds in the family Scolopacidae. There is only one species of Marbled Godwit, while there are 6-8 recognized species of curlews in the genus Numenius.
Marbled Godwits can be identified by their large size (15-19 in / 38-48 cm long), long slightly upturned bill, long bluish legs, and distinctive winter plumage. In winter they have pinkish-cinnamon underparts with gray-brown barring on the belly and flanks. Their back and wings are gray-brown. In breeding plumage they are more boldly patterned in reddish-brown and black on the back and wings. The long bill has a slight upward curve.
Curlews are also large shorebirds with long legs and a very long, downcurved bill. They lack the colorful breeding plumage of the Marbled Godwit. The Eurasian Curlew (N. arquata) is the most widespread species and is the largest curlew. It is distinguished from the Marbled Godwit by its plain gray-brown plumage and extremely long curved bill.
Range and Habitat
Marbled Godwits and curlews have distinct breeding and wintering ranges. Marbled Godwits breed primarily in the prairie regions of North America, from southern Canada through the northern Great Plains south to Nebraska. They winter along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts from the southern US to South America.
In contrast, curlews breed across the temperate and subarctic regions of Eurasia, from Ireland east across Russia to the Kamchatka Peninsula. They migrate long distances to winter in coastal regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and scattered islands in the Indian Ocean.
Both Marbled Godwits and curlews favor open habitats like grasslands, mudflats, estuaries and beaches. On their breeding grounds Marbled Godwits nest in shortgrass prairies, while curlews nest in moorlands, bogs, and tundra. In migration and winter they frequent coastal mudflats, lagoons and wetlands.
Behavior
Marbled Godwits and curlews share some behavioral traits typical of shorebirds. They feed by probing in wet mud or sand to catch worms, insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates. They nest on the ground, producing clutches of 4 eggs on average. The chicks are precocial, able to walk and feed themselves soon after hatching.
During courtship Marbled Godwits perform aerial displays, circling high overhead while making their distinctive “pyu-pyu-pyu” call. Pairs mate for life and share incubation and parenting duties. Curlews also form long-term pair bonds and engage in elaborate courtship rituals, with males performing display flights and dramatic sky-dancing.
These birds are long distance migrants. Marbled Godwits make a non-stop 6000 mile journey when flying from Alaska to New Zealand – one of the longest known migratory flights in the avian world. Curlews also perform marathon non-stop migrations but spread out over more disjointed wintering regions.
Size and Appearance
As members of the Scolopacidae, Marbled Godwits and curlews share a similar body shape but with some key differences in size and proportions.
Marbled Godwits are very large shorebirds with a total length of 15-19 inches (38-48 cm) and wingspan around 32 inches (80 cm). They weigh 10.6-26.5 oz (300-750 g). They have the longest bill of any shorebird; their long, slightly upturned bill measures 5.5-8.2 inches (14-21 cm). This allows them to probe deeply in wet sand or mud when feeding.
Curlews are also large in size, but not quite as big as the Marbled Godwit. The Long-billed Curlew measures 19-24 in (48-60 cm) in length with a wingspan of around 35 inches (90 cm). The Eurasian Curlew reaches 22-28 in (55-70 cm) long with a 3 foot (1 m) wingspan. Curlews are notable for having an extremely long, slender, downcurved bill that can measure up to 8.7 inches (22 cm) in the Eurasian Curlew.
Species | Length (in) | Wingspan (in) | Bill Length (in) |
---|---|---|---|
Marbled Godwit | 15-19 | 32 | 5.5-8.2 |
Long-billed Curlew | 19-24 | 35 | 5.5-8 |
Eurasian Curlew | 22-28 | 36 | 7.5-8.7 |
In terms of plumage, curlews tend to be more muted gray-brown overall, while breeding Marbled Godwits have reddish underparts with black and white barring on the back and wings. The winter plumage of the Marbled Godwit is more gray but still has distinctive pinkish underparts with dark barring.
Diet
Marbled Godwits and curlews are both carnivorous, feeding on a variety of small invertebrates. They use their long bills to probe deeply into wet sand or mud, feeling for prey items buried below the surface.
A Marbled Godwit’s diet includes worms, mollusks, crustaceans such as crab, shrimp and amphipods, various insects, and some small fish. Curlews feed on similar prey, including worms, shrimps, crabs, mollusks and insects. Their long bills allow them to search deeper in the mud than shorter-billed shorebirds.
These shorebirds employ a variety of foraging methods when feeding. They use tactile probing, quickly inserting their bills into the ground to catch buried prey. They may probe while walking steadily, or employ deep probing by vibrating their bill to reach deeper sediments. Curlews are also known to use visual hunting, pecking at visible prey items on the surface.
On their inland prairie breeding grounds, Marbled Godwits may also forage for eggs and nestlings of other grassland bird species. Curlews on the tundra have been observed following herds of reindeer and feeding on insects flushed by the moving animals.
Typical Prey Items
- Worms
- Mollusks
- Shrimp
- Crabs
- Insects
- Amphipods
- Fish eggs
Breeding
Marbled Godwits and curlews breed in temperate grassland and tundra habitats in the Northern Hemisphere during spring and summer months.
Marbled Godwits nest primarily on the northern Great Plains of North America, from southern Canada south to Nebraska. They breed in shortgrass and mixed-grass prairies, at elevations up to 8,500 feet. Nesting occurs from mid-April through July.
Curlews nest across the temperate and arctic regions of Eurasia, scattered across Ireland, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Russia, Mongolia, and northern China. They occupy moorlands, bogs, meadows, and tundra at high latitudes.
Nesting occurs in loose colonies for both species. The nest consists of a shallow scrape lined with grasses, leaves, lichen or other vegetation. The female lays 3-6 eggs, which are incubated for 21-31 days before hatching. Both parents share incubation duties. The precocial young fledge in just 21-35 days after hatching.
Breeding habitats
- Shortgrass prairies – Marbled Godwit
- Mixed-grass prairies – Marbled Godwit
- Moorlands – Northern Curlew
- Bogs – Eurasian Curlew
- Meadows – Whimbrel
- Tundra – Long-billed Curlew
Conservation Status
Many shorebird species worldwide are threatened by habitat loss, disturbance, pollution and climate change. Marbled Godwits and curlews face some ongoing conservation concerns.
The global population of Marbled Godwits is estimated at 200,000-300,000 birds. They are ranked as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List due to declining numbers and threats to breeding habitat, particularly in prairie regions. Habitat loss also threatens their non-breeding grounds along migration routes and wintering regions.
Several curlew species have declining populations, including the Eurasian Curlew, classified as Near Threatened with only 58,000 pairs left globally. The Slender-billed Curlew is Critically Endangered and possibly extinct, with as few as 50 birds remaining worldwide.
Conservation actions needed to protect these species include preserving intact grassland and wetland ecosystems, reducing disturbance at nesting sites, and limiting shoreline development and pollution along migration pathways and coastlines where they winter and refuel during long migrations.
Conclusion
In summary, the Marbled Godwit and curlews represent an elegant group of large shorebirds well adapted to long migrations between hemispheres. While they overlap in some aspects of appearance, habitat, and behavior, the Marbled Godwit stands apart as larger in size with more striking plumage than its curlew cousins that breed across Eurasia and winter broadly across the Southern Hemisphere. Ongoing conservation efforts for their breeding and migratory habitats will be key to protecting these iconic shorebird species into the future.