A migratory wader that probes mudflats with its long bill. In Australia, it searches shallow water for small invertebrates during the austral summer.
Breeding adults become chestnut-red on the face and underparts; in nonbreeding plumage the upperparts are gray and the underparts pale. The long bill curves slightly downward.
At Vedaranyam swamp in southeastern India, researchers studied Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stints and Marsh Sandpipers feeding. From November 1986 to March 1987, they watched the birds by day and compared how often each pecked at food. The Curlew Sandpiper’s peck rate fell between those of the other two species.
Pecking rates were linked with body and bill size, feeding movements, the ground where birds fed and the foods they selected. For Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints, peck rate was not related to prey density in the same way as it was for Marsh Sandpipers. Across the three species, observers recorded 327,055 actions during 148 hours of watching.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
At Vedaranyam swamp, Curlew Sandpiper feeding was linked with the feeding ground and food. Keeping intertidal and shallow-water feeding areas in good condition, along with the prey they support, can help retain wetland habitat used by shorebirds.