Little Whimbrel vs Eskimo Curlew

The Little Curlew and Eskimo Curlew are small, similar-looking shorebirds, but can be distinguished by the Little Curlew's conspicuous crown-stripe and barred primaries compared to the Eskimo Curlew's indistinct crown-stripe and uniformly dark primaries. The Eskimo Curlew is critically endangered and rarely seen, while the Little Curlew is more common in its range.

Look for the conspicuous crown-stripe on the Little Curlew, absent in the Eskimo Curlew. Check the primary feathers: barred in Little Curlew, uniformly dark in Eskimo Curlew. Note the wing-lining color: buff in Little Curlew, rich cinnamon in Eskimo Curlew. The supercilium is well-defined in Little Curlew but faint in Eskimo Curlew. Consider the rarity of Eskimo Curlew sightings when identifying.

The Little Curlew is slightly smaller than the Eskimo Curlew, though both are small curlews.

The Little Curlew has a conspicuous crown-stripe and barred primaries, while the Eskimo Curlew lacks a distinct crown-stripe and has uniformly dark primaries. The Eskimo Curlew's wing-lining is rich cinnamon, contrasting with the Little Curlew's buff wing-lining.

The Little Curlew breeds in eastern Siberia and winters in Australasia, while the Eskimo Curlew historically bred in North America and migrated to South America, though it is now extremely rare.