Numenius hudsonicus
Silhouette: Rebecca Groom (based on Photo by Andreas Trepte) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The Hudsonian whimbrel or Hudsonian curlew (Numenius hudsonicus) is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America. This species and the Eurasian whimbrel were split in 2019 based on genetic and morphological differences and separate breeding ranges.
Two subspecies are recognized: Numenius hudsonicus rufiventris – Vigors, 1829: breeds in Alaska and northwestern Canada Numenius hudsonicus hudsonicus – Latham, 1790: (Hudsonian curlew) breeds in Hudson Bay area to northeastern Canada This is a fairly large wader, though mid-sized as a member of the curlew genus. The English name is imitative of the bird's call. The genus name Numenius is from Ancient Greek noumenios, a bird mentioned by Hesychius. It is associated with the curlews because it appears to be derived from neos, "new" and mene, "moon", referring to the crescent-shaped bill.
It is 37–47 cm (15–19 in) in length, 75–90 cm (30–35 in) in wingspan, and 270–493 g (9.5–17.4 oz; 0.595–1.087 lb) in weight. It is mainly greyish brown, with a rump pattern uniform with upperparts, and a long curved... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Luís | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 6 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Recife | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Anchorage | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aviario Nacional de Colombia | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 2 | Seattle Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Montreal Biodome | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Seattle Marine Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Hudsonian Whimbrel sighting in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 38th most-seen of the 182 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and February
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Hudsonian Whimbrel in Ostional Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in April–May and July–October, the lowest months. Those are among Ostional Wildlife Refuge's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain a month against 560 mm in October.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hudsonian Whimbrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 26
Of the 26 parks where we can rate Hudsonian Whimbrel sightings, Ostional Wildlife Refuge ranks 11th at about 20%. The best odds are in Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge (Costa Rica, about 60%), Tortuguero National Park (Costa Rica, about 40%) and Marino Ballena National Park (Costa Rica, about 40%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hudsonian Whimbrel is recorded against all the birds logged in Ostional Wildlife Refuge (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
