World Curlew Day!

Today we want to celebrate these big billed birds, especially since most curlew species are at risk, including our very own Long-billed curlew.

As a ground laying bird, Long-billed curlew have to be careful of all the potential predators that can disturb them and their nest. Thankfully, the young are ready to go pretty quickly after they hatch. Only a couple hours after these chicks hatch, they are already running around the grasslands, and the nest is abandoned within 24 hours. The chicks are also warned by their parents if a predator is nearby. The parents will chirp to indicate to the chicks that they need to stay still to avoid the predator noticing. Then the parents will dive bomb the predator to try to keep them away. And as the biggest shorebird in BC, that can be pretty intimidating.

These cool birds depend on open grasslands, meaning these habitat have to be protected. People can help by keeping some natural areas on your property and managing your invasive plants. Also consider eliminating or reducing the use of pesticides that would affect their food availability.