# Eurasian whimbrel (*Numenius phaeopus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/eurasian-whimbrel  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The Eurasian whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) is a small migratory bird in the family Scolopacidae and the order Charadriiformes. Adults weigh 364.6 g, with reported values from 354 g to 398 g, and the wingspan is 1.07 m. It is a terrestrial omnivore of grassland habitat, with a geographic range of 4,803,000 km². It lays 4 eggs per clutch, one clutch per year, incubates them for 24.75 days, and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 354 g – 398 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 1.07 m |
| Lifespan | 12.5 years |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 16.1 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | grassland |
| Egg incubation | 24.8 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 4 |
| Age at maturity | 24 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Migration | Migratory |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Aves
- order: Charadriiformes
- family: Scolopacidae
- genus: Numenius
- species: *Numenius phaeopus* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Numenius minor*, *Phaeopus phaeopus*, *Podiceps gadowi*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the Eurasian whimbrel?

The Eurasian whimbrel is a bird in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes. It is migratory.

### How much does a Eurasian whimbrel weigh?

An adult Eurasian whimbrel weighs 364.6 g, with reported values from 354 g to 398 g. Its wingspan is 1.07 m.

### What does the Eurasian whimbrel eat?

The Eurasian whimbrel is an omnivore. It forages terrestrially.

### What habitat does the Eurasian whimbrel use?

The Eurasian whimbrel uses grassland habitat. Its geographic range covers 4,803,000 km².

### Is the Eurasian whimbrel endangered?

No. The Eurasian whimbrel is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a Eurasian whimbrel live?

The Eurasian whimbrel has a lifespan of 12.5 years, with values up to 16.1 years reported.

### How many eggs does the Eurasian whimbrel lay?

The Eurasian whimbrel lays 4 eggs per clutch, with 1 clutch per year. Incubation lasts 24.75 days, and it reaches sexual maturity at 2 years.

### Who named the Eurasian whimbrel?

The Eurasian whimbrel, Numenius phaeopus, was named by (Linnaeus, 1758).

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7), CC BY 4.0, v7. Tobias, J.A. et al. (2022) AVONET: morphological, ecological and geographical data for all birds. Ecology Letters 25: 581–597. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13898. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.16586228.v7
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Eurasian whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/eurasian-whimbrel