Whimbrel is a smaller version of the Curlew, with a shorter, straighter then down-curved bill and pale crown-stripe. The ‘seven-whistle’ call is diagnostic.
This elegant wader has a very restricted UK breeding range, with a small population nesting mostly in Shetland. Birds start to arrive back on territory from the last week of April, having spent the winter in southern Europe and Africa.
Birdwatchers are most likely to encounter Whimbrel in spring, as birds pass through Britain & Ireland heading for their arctic breeding grounds, which stretch from Greenland to Siberia. Individuals or small flocks can be seen virtually anywhere around our coasts, and sometimes at inland locations in England.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Whimbrel
Curlew is a familiar wader, found in wild habitats around the UK. In April and May numbers of their smaller cousin, Whimbrel, will be moving through towards their northerly breeding sites and these birds can cause confusion. This video helps you to confidently separate the two species by sight and sound.
Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Whimbrel, provided by xeno-canto contributors.
Call
Song
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Most Whimbrel seen in Britain are passage migrants en route to Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia, and the small British breeding population is almost entirely confined to Shetland. The population is monitored by specical surveys: An estimate of 479 breeding pairs in 1989–94 was similar to a previous estimate for 1983–86 (Dore et al. 1996) although the most recent such survey estimated a population of 290+ breeding pairs suggesting a slight decline (Jackson 2009). However, the population remains higher than the estimate of c.150 pairs during 1968–72 (Sharrock 1976).
Whimbrels have a very restricted breeding distribution in Britain, with most of the population and 76% of the range confined to the Shetland Islands, the remainder being in Orkney, the Western Isles and Caithness. A small but growing number of Whimbrels winter in the UK, mostly at coastal sites, with a concentration along the south coasts of England and Ireland.
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Since the 1980s there has been a large increase in wintering Whimbrels, with a 212% increase in the number of occupied 10-km squares in Britain & Ireland, probably as a result of milder winters.
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution Change 1968–72 to 2008–11. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution Change 1981–84 to 2007–11 More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Change in occupied 10-km squares in the UK
% change in range in breeding season (1968–72 to 2008–11)
Aside from a few records in winter and a small northern breeding population, most Whimbrels are encountered during the narrow spring passage period, and in the slightly more protracted autumn migration period, the latter starting from early July.
Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells) and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
The drivers of changes in the Whimbrel population are unclear, but potential factors that may have affected breeding sites include afforestation, peat extraction, agricultural changes and climate change (Birds in Scotland).
Links to more studies from ConservationEvidence.com
WHIMB 
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