Birding Questions & Answers

 

Question: What are the four largest shorebirds that frequent our beaches?

Answer: In descending order of size, the four are

the Long-billed Curlew, which is the largest bird and has the longest curved bill; (it is at the top in the photo);

the Marbled Godwit, which has the longest straight bi-colored bill -- it looks curved up but it isn't (two Marbled Godwits are at the left and bottom in the photo);

the Whimbrel, which has a shorter curved bill (two Whimbrels in the photo toward the right); and finally,

the Willet, which is the smallest of the four and has a straight, gray, dark bill (it is at the right bottom in the photo).