h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I recently attended a Wader Festival on the Wirral. As well as seeing a huge number of Oystercatchers, I was also privileged to spot a few Curlews.

The Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) is a large, brown speckled wading bird with a long down-curved beak. They are named after their distinctive 'coureee' call. They use their long beaks to dig into sand and mud. On the coast they find crabs and shellfish such as cockles. They may also be seen in meadows where they will feed on worms and insects.

Numbers of curlews have declined in recent years, mainly because of loss of habitat, but conservation plans, such as sympathetic farming methods and preventing the birds being hunted for sport, have been put in place to help prevent further declines.