U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Status Assessment and Conservation Action Plan for the Long-Billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) Biological Technical Publication BTP-R6012-2009 Bob Gress© U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Status Assessment and Conservation Action Plan for the Long-Billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) Biological Technical Publication BTP-R6012-2009 Suzanne D. Fellows Stephanie L. Jones U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6, Nongame Migratory Bird Coordinator’s Office, Denver, CO Cover image: Long-billed Curlew Photo credit: Bob Gress© Author contact information: For additional copies or information, contact: Suzanne D. Fellows U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6 Nongame Migratory Birds Nongame Migratory Birds P. O. Box 25486 DFC, P. O. Box 25486 DFC Denver, CO 80225-0486. Denver, CO 80225-0486 Phone: 303-236-4417 Recommended citation: Email: [email protected] Fellows, S. D., and S. L. Jones. 2009. Status assessment and conservation action plan for the Stephanie L. Jones Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus). U.S. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6 Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Nongame Migratory Birds Biological Technical Publication, FWS/BTP-R6012- P. O. Box 25486 DFC 2009, Washington, D.C. Denver, CO 80225-0486 Phone: 303-236-4409 Email: [email protected] ii Status Assessment and Conservation Action Plan for the Long-Billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) Table of Contents List of Figures . v List of Tables . vi Executive Summary . vii Acknowledgments . viii Chapter 1: Status Assessment . 1 Taxonomy . 1 Legal Status . 2 United States. 2 Canada. 2 México.. 2 Description . 5 Range . 5 Breeding. 5 Migration. 5 Wintering. 5 Population Status . 5 Conservation Status. 5 Population Numbers. 7 Population Trends. 7 Habitat Requirements . 8 Breeding. 8 Water . 8 Habitat block size . 9 Vegetation structure during nesting . 9 Vegetation structure during brood rearing . 9 Winter. 9 Migration. 10 Threats . 10 Over-utilization. 10 Habitat Loss. 11 Predation. 11 Grazing. 11 Energy Development. 11 Disease. 12 Pesticides. 12 Other. 12 Vehicles . 12 Disturbance . 12 Recommendations . 13 Table of Contents iii Chapter 2: Conservation Action Plan . 14 Introduction . 14 Priority Actions . 15 Population Monitoring and Assessment . 15 Migration Staging and Wintering Areas. 16 Habitat Assessment and Management. 16 Research . 16 Education and Outreach. 21 Other Species Covered. 21 Priority Populations and Regions. 21 Conservation Strategy . 21 Completed and On-going Conservation Actions. 21 Chapter 3: State and Provincial Summaries of Long-Billed Curlew Status . .22 Introduction . .22 United States. 23 Arizona. 23 California. 24 Colorado. 26 Idaho. 28 Kansas. 29 Montana. 31 Nebraska. 33 Nevada. 35 New Mexico. 37 North Dakota . 38 Oklahoma. 40 Oregon. 42 South Dakota. 45 Texas. 46 Utah. 49 Washington . 52 Wyoming . 56 Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 57 Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. 59 Canada . 62 Alberta . 62 British Columbia . 63 Saskatchewan . 65 México . 68 Baja California . 68 Baja California Sur . 69 Chihuahua. ..