Eurasian Curlew

The Eurasian curlew is Europe's largest wader, with finely streaked brown plumage and a long, downcurved bill. That bill, which can reach fifteen centimetres, is the longest of any European wader: it probes deep into the mud for worms, crabs and shellfish. Its fluting, melancholy « cour-li » call gave it its French name. In winter it gathers in large flocks on the mudflats and wet meadows of the Baie de Bourgneuf and the Vendée marshes.