Subject: Long-Billed Curlew, Numenius americanus

Location: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Texas

Stock Number: MWA-08

Comments: Our largest shorebird, and certainly the one with the most impressive bill. The curlew uses this bill to probe deep into the sand where it finds crustaceans and mollusks. This species doesn't mind diversifying its diet with the occasional insect either.

The Long-billed curlew is a species of special concern because of the rapid rate of habit loss.

I photographed this one in a salt marsh in south Texas.

Related images: Our Birds image gallery has more photographs from Latin America, Canada, and the United States.