A
large wader, the largest in the UK, the curlew
is unmistakable; the size of the bird itself
and its enormous down curved bill are enough
for recognition. Vocally the bird is also
quite unique; from the sad sound of the call
which gives it its name, to the liquid
bubbling trill of the display song. Curlews
are generally brown, heavily patterned,
becoming paler underneath with a white rump
and a barred pattern on the wings and tail.
The sexes are similar, although the female
tends to be larger. Most likely to be sighted
on the moorlands of Staffordshire, Curlews
have also been seen at such sites as Westport
Lake and Whitfield Valley Local Nature
Reserve, well within Stoke-on-Trent city
limits.
