Brachvögel Vienna

Curlews are birds of open, wide wetland landscapes. The Eurasian curlew breeds in raised bogs, fens, wet meadows and coastal marshes, and most birds move to coasts and tidal flats for the winter. The long, downcurved bill is used to probe soft ground for earthworms, insect larvae and other invertebrates. At a body length of around 50 to 60 centimetres and a wingspan of about 90 to 100 centimetres, the Eurasian curlew is the largest native wader in the sandpiper family.

The population has been declining sharply for decades. Germany's national Red List of breeding birds places the Eurasian curlew in the highest threat category, category 1, threatened with extinction. The main drivers are the drainage and intensification of wet grassland, the loss of suitable breeding habitat, frequent early mowing during the nesting period, and high losses from predation in cleared agricultural landscapes. The species is additionally covered by strict protection under the EU Birds Directive and Germany's Federal Nature Conservation Act.

For hunters, the curlew is not quarry but an indicator of intact wet meadows and bogs on the ground. What matters in the field is correct identification. The long, downcurved bill, the pale belly and the far-carrying, flute-like call set the curlew clearly apart from huntable members of the sandpiper family such as the woodcock or the common snipe. Where curlews occur, hunters can help by considering breeding sites when planning habitat work, by aligning stewardship with the needs of meadow-nesting birds, and by reporting observations to the local nature conservation authority. Any deliberate killing is a criminal offence.