Eurasian Whimbrel

📍 Local Expert Tip

“The Whimbrel is a regular Spring and Autumn passage migrant with a few birds likely present most days from mid-April to end of May and again from mid-July to until end of September. Occasionally a bird will winter on the Adur Estuary.”

🔍 Overview

A rare but regular spring and autumn passage migrant in Sussex, the Whimbrel’s distinctive head stripe and call make it memorable.

🪶 Key Identification Features

Size: Similar to Curlew (45–50 cm)

Plumage: Mottled brown with a bold dark crown stripe

Distinctive Marks: Striped head, down-curved bill

Bill: Long and curved

Tail: Rounded

Flight: Direct, often high over estuaries

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution

Found during passage at Lower Adur SSSI, Goring Gap, and Worthing Beaches, often feeding and roosting with other waders.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour

A distinctive fast “whimbrel” whistle. Forages by probing sand and mud for invertebrates.

🍴 Diet

Small crustaceans, worms, small marine invertebrates.

📸 Birding Tip

Best seen at high tide around saltmarsh edges or mudflats—listen for their distinctive call during flyovers.