THE BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW LANDFALL OF 1998: CLIMATIC FACTORS AND NOTES OF IDENTIFICATION

Abstract

The Bristle-thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis) undertakes one of the longest known transoceanic migrations of any shorebird, commuting between its breeding range in western Alaska and its wintering grounds in the tropical Pacific. Its world population is likely less than 10,000 (Marks 1996), and its breeding population consists of approximately 3,500 pairs (Gill and Redmond 1992).