Long-billed Curlew????

[deutchman]

Last weekend when hunting in ND about an hour south of Devils lake, a bird -about the size of a cormorant, maybe a little smaller- flew over the small marsh we were in. It had a curved-down bill, and a fairly wide wingspan. Unfortunately, it was in the early twilight and no color could be seen. Just wondering if it could have been a long-billed curlew? How common are they in the upper mid-west? (It's the first one I've ever seen) Thanks for the info!!!

[Jackpine Rob]

There are a couple of terns with downturned beaks. I think the bird I was trying to ID last spring (spotted in NE South Dakota in a flooded field) was a tern.

[Steve Foss]

It could be either, as both familes of birds are commonly seen in N.D. I lived and birded in N.D. for more than 20 years.

Terns will be black/white/gray looking, while the curlew is speckled/mottled brown. The look about the same size, though the terns have shorter necks, shorter, thicker bills and much shorter legs. So curlews look longer and thinner in flight while terns appear more compact and muscular.

[amoebus]

D-man,

Sorry if this is too late but I would guess the curlew or an ibis. I found a curlew in Blaine a couple of years ago and the MOU dude said it was the 3rd summer sighting in a century - so, they are not too common in MN. Parts of ND have breeding curlews, but not near Devil's lake. If the bird was far away and you could still see the downturned bill, it might have been an ibis. Their bill is thicker and easier see from a distance. The wimbrel also has a downturned bill that is a little smaller than the curlew.

Don't know of any terns with downturned bills.

BTW, one of my favorite places out west is NW of Billings on a prairie dog farm. If you get there before sunrise, you can watch the sun come up over Burrowning Owls and LB Curlews zipping back and forth. The dogs seem to ignore most of this activity.