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Glite Dictionary
whimbrel

whimbrel

1 9.5
A medium-sized shore bird with a long curved bill used to find food in mud
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪmbrəl/
  • Specialized
: zarapito
  • -Whimbrel.
  • whimbrel and godwit
  • whimbrel and willet
  • whimbrel and plover

Examples

  • The Eskimo curlew is small in comparison to its North American relatives, the long-billed curlew and the whimbrel.

    Academic text (1992)

  • While birdwatching along the coast, I spotted a whimbrel searching for crabs in the tidal pools.

  • The whimbrel, with its long, down-curved bill, is often seen wading through shallow waters in search of food.

  • I was thrilled to see a whimbrel among the other shorebirds during my trip to the beach.

Synonyms

shorebird
vswhimbrel
2 3.7

A bird that lives by the sea and searches mud or sand for food

is one medium sized species within that coastal group rather than the whole group
curlew
vswhimbrel
1 8.6

A large wading bird with a long curved bill that lives by the sea

is medium sized rather than large in overall body size
wading bird
vswhimbrel
1 3.6

A bird with long legs that stands in shallow water to catch fish and insects

focuses on coastal long billed species rather than long legged shallow water birds
limicoline bird
vswhimbrel
  • Specialized
9.9

A bird that walks in shallow water at the sea edge to find food

is a single medium sized species rather than a broad group

Surface Forms

whimbrel singular
whimbrels plural

Etymology

The word whimbrel probably comes from an old name that copies the bird's call, much like curlew. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine the bird on the shore making a 'whim-brel' cry; that name fits a coastal wading bird with a long, down-curved bill.