World Curlew Day: Celebrating and Safeguarding the Haunting Call of the Curlew

World Curlew Day – April 21: Honoring the Elegance and Urgency of the Curlew's Call

In the tapestry of Earth's biodiversity, few birds are as hauntingly symbolic of wilderness, solitude, and fragility as the curlew. On April 21 each year, conservationists, ornithologists, bird lovers, and nature enthusiasts around the world come together to mark World Curlew Day—a special observance that is as much a celebration as it is a solemn reminder. With their long, downcurved bills and evocative, melancholic calls, curlews have become emblematic of wild, open landscapes that are increasingly under threat. World Curlew Day brings attention not just to the birds themselves, but also to the habitats they depend on and the human activities that place them in peril.

Origins of World Curlew Day

World Curlew Day was first initiated in 2017 by conservationist Mary Colwell, a writer and environmentalist whose passion for curlews led her to undertake a 500-mile pilgrimage across the UK in 2016 to raise awareness of their decline. That long, soul-searching journey was not just about physical endurance, but about connecting people across regions to a common concern: the rapid and alarming disappearance of curlews from the skies.

April 21 was selected as it coincides with the peak of the curlew's breeding season in the northern hemisphere, especially in the UK and Ireland, where curlews are often first heard or seen around this time. It is also a date that symbolically ties into the concept of rebirth and nature’s cycle—fitting for a bird that is deeply tied to moorlands, bogs, and wet meadows, where spring breathes new life.

The Curlew: A Bird of Mystery and Majesty

The term “curlew” refers to several species in the genus Numenius, within the family Scolopacidae, which includes sandpipers and other shorebirds. The most recognized is the Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata), Europe's largest wading bird. Others include the Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus), Bristle-thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis), and the Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis). Tragically, two species—the Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) and the Slender-billed Curlew (Numenius tenuirostris)—are now feared extinct or critically endangered.

Curlews are easily recognizable by their long, slender, downward-curving bills, which they use to probe deep into soft mud and soil for invertebrates. Their haunting, bubbling calls are among the most evocative sounds in nature, often described as ethereal, otherworldly, or mournful—adding to their cultural and poetic presence in folklore, literature, and music.

The Ecological Role of Curlews

Curlews are migratory birds that depend on a network of wetlands, grasslands, and coastlines throughout the year. During breeding season, many curlew species nest inland on open moorlands and wet pastures. In winter, they migrate to estuaries, saltmarshes, and coastal mudflats. This dual habitat reliance makes them vulnerable to environmental changes in both ecosystems.

As top-tier predators of insects, worms, and small invertebrates, curlews play a significant role in maintaining ecological balance in their habitats. Their presence is often a good indicator of the health of a wetland or grassland ecosystem. Declining curlew numbers may signal broader environmental problems, including habitat degradation, pesticide overuse, or climate change.

Population Declines and Conservation Challenges

Despite their cultural and ecological importance, curlew populations are under serious threat across the globe. The Eurasian curlew, once common throughout Europe, has seen a dramatic decline. In the UK alone, the population has decreased by over 60% in the past few decades. The species is now classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and is considered the most pressing bird conservation priority in the UK.

The Far Eastern Curlew, which breeds in Russia and northeast China and migrates to Australasia, is listed as Endangered. It has experienced a steep decline due to the reclamation of tidal flats in the Yellow Sea—one of the most important stopover points along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. In North America, the Long-billed Curlew has also suffered due to the conversion of native prairie into agricultural land.

Even more disturbing is the fate of the Eskimo Curlew, once one of the most numerous shorebirds in North America. It has not been reliably sighted since the 1980s and is widely believed to be extinct. Similarly, the Slender-billed Curlew, last conclusively seen in the early 2000s, is now almost certainly extinct.

The causes of these declines are multifaceted and often overlapping: habitat loss, intensive agriculture, afforestation of open lands, predation, egg collecting, and the effects of climate change. The lack of sufficient breeding success is a particularly pressing issue. In some areas, curlews produce almost no fledged chicks due to predation by foxes, crows, or humans disturbing nesting sites.

Conservation Efforts and Global Response

In response to these alarming trends, conservation organizations, governments, and local communities are increasingly rallying behind curlews. In the UK and Ireland, programs like Curlew Recovery Partnerships, Curlew LIFE, and the RSPB’s Curlew Trial Management Project are working to restore habitats, monitor breeding success, control predators, and raise public awareness.

In Australia, conservation groups are focusing on protecting the Far Eastern Curlew’s coastal feeding grounds. Governments are also engaging in international cooperation through frameworks such as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the Ramsar Convention to safeguard wetland ecosystems critical for migratory birds.

World Curlew Day has grown into an important focal point for these efforts. It encourages not only large-scale policy initiatives but also grassroots involvement. Birdwatching groups conduct surveys, schools run educational workshops, artists and poets contribute works inspired by the curlew’s call, and communities come together to protect local habitats.

Cultural Significance of the Curlew

The curlew holds a deep place in cultural memory, especially in Celtic, Irish, and Scottish folklore. Its call, often associated with loneliness or the supernatural, has appeared in poetry, song, and myth for centuries. In many cultures, the curlew’s cry is an omen, either of change or loss. Its haunting voice echoes across moorlands and estuaries, leaving a lingering impression on those who hear it.

Poet W.B. Yeats referenced curlews in his work, using their cry to evoke a mystical sense of longing. In more recent times, British musicians and composers, including the likes of Peter Warlock and Ralph Vaughan Williams, have found inspiration in the curlew’s call. The bird is often used metaphorically to signify vanishing beauty or fading wilderness—a symbol of things we are in danger of losing forever.

The name “curlew” itself is thought to derive from the bird’s call, which sounds like “cur-lee,” echoing across the wild moors or estuarine flats.

Education and Community Involvement on World Curlew Day

World Curlew Day is not just about advocacy—it is a day of engagement, education, and empowerment. Across the globe, organizations host events that cater to all age groups and communities. Schools introduce children to bird conservation through storytelling, creative writing, and field trips to wetlands. Wildlife reserves and national parks arrange bird walks, nest protection workshops, and citizen science activities.

Art exhibitions, film screenings, and music performances themed around curlews are also held to inspire emotional and creative connections to nature. For example, in 2021, a musical project called “Curlew Sounds” brought together musicians and ornithologists to create pieces based on the rhythm and timbre of the curlew’s call.

Social media campaigns play an increasingly important role, using hashtags like #WorldCurlewDay and #CurlewCrisis to amplify the message. People from around the world post photos, videos, and personal reflections, contributing to a shared narrative of concern, hope, and action.

The Role of Research and Citizen Science

An essential part of World Curlew Day is the emphasis on scientific research and citizen science. Long-term studies are crucial in understanding curlew behavior, migration patterns, breeding success, and threats. Organizations such as the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) rely on data from professionals and amateurs alike to build a comprehensive picture of the curlew’s plight.

Technologies like GPS tagging, drone surveillance, and acoustic monitoring are now used to track individual birds and study their interactions with the environment. These tools help identify critical nesting and feeding areas, inform habitat management, and evaluate the success of conservation actions.

On World Curlew Day, workshops and webinars are often organized to disseminate these findings to the public and stakeholders, reinforcing the connection between knowledge and effective action.

A Global Perspective

While much of the attention on World Curlew Day is centered in Europe, particularly the UK and Ireland, the curlew’s fate is a global issue. The different curlew species traverse continents and oceans, connecting places as distant as Siberia, Alaska, Mongolia, China, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia. Their migratory paths form invisible threads that weave together human and natural worlds.

International cooperation is essential. In East Asia, efforts to preserve mudflats for Far Eastern Curlews must be complemented by protection of breeding sites in Russia. Similarly, in North America, conserving prairie grasslands is critical for sustaining the Long-billed Curlew.

World Curlew Day serves as a reminder of these interdependencies. It compels policymakers, businesses, and individuals to think beyond borders and adopt a planetary mindset. The curlew, after all, does not recognize national boundaries.

The Future of the Curlew

Saving the curlew is not just about protecting a bird. It is about rethinking our relationship with the land, with agriculture, with development, and with time itself. It is about creating spaces where both humans and wildlife can coexist. It is about recognizing the value of silence, solitude, and the wild cries of birds overhead.

Hope remains. In areas where conservation efforts have been focused—such as parts of Northern Ireland and Wales—curlew numbers are stabilizing or even increasing. Innovative projects like farming incentives, predator fencing, controlled burning, and rewilding are showing promise. Most importantly, the cultural momentum around World Curlew Day is galvanizing new generations to care.

Conclusion: A Call Echoing Across the Moors

As April 21 arrives each year, the call of the curlew becomes more than just a sound—it becomes a voice for the voiceless, a lament for lost landscapes, and a call to action for the living. World Curlew Day is a poignant reminder that we are stewards of a world that includes not just cities and commerce, but coasts, bogs, and skies filled with birdsong.

To hear a curlew today is a privilege; to ensure that future generations will hear it is a responsibility. It is a song that connects the past, the present, and—if we act wisely—the future.

Photo from Freepik

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