CUELEW 365 



south-east of England it occurs chiefly on migration. In 

 Scotland and Ireland it nests freely on the great bogs and 

 mountain-ranges. 



Geographical distribution. Abroad, this species breeds 

 over the greater part of Northern Europe (omitting Iceland 

 and the Faroes, where its near ally the Whimbrel breeds 

 numerously), also in Germany, Denmark, Holland, Poland, 

 and Northern France. Eastward, with slight racial differ- 

 ences, it is found nesting in the western section of Northern 

 and Temperate Asia. 



During the southern migration in autumn and winter, 

 the Curlew is common over the European Continent, reach- 

 ing South Africa and the Islands off the west coast. East- 

 ward it visits India in winter. 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. 1 Adult male nuptial. Top of head, nape and 

 sides of neck, back, scapulars, wings, and breast, barred and 

 variegated with dusky-brown and light yellowish-brown ; 

 lower back, white, sparsely streaked with black ; upper 

 tail-coverts, also white, marked with dark streaks ; tail, 

 transversely barred with dark brown and yellowish- white ; 

 primaries, blackish-brown, with light shafts, and whitish 

 markings on the inner webs ; chin and throat, whitish ; 

 cheeks and front of neck, pale greyish-brown with darker 

 streaks ; abdomen, white ; under tail-coverts, white, thinly 

 streaked with dark brown ; flanks, variegated like the breast ; 

 over the eye is an ill-defined greyish stripe. 



Adult female nuptial. Similar to the male plumage. 



Adult winter, male and female. Resembles the nuptial 

 plumage, but the throat, neck, breast, and abdomen, are 

 much whiter, and the striping and spotting are less pro- 

 nounced. 



Immature, male and female. Like the Whimbrel, the 

 plumage of the immature bird is more tawny in shade and 

 more chequered and variegated in appearance than that of 

 the adult, which it otherwise resembles. The tail-feathers 

 are beautifully and evenly barred with blackish-brown and 

 dull white. 



Several partial and entire albinos are on record. 



