What's the difference between
a curlew and a whimbrel?

What's the difference between whimbrels
and curlews?

• These two wading birds are easy to confuse being very similar in appearance. Differences are more pronounced in the females.
  
  
• The curlew is the largest European wading bird and is noticeably larger than the whimbrel when it is possible to compare the two.
  
  
• The whimbrel has a more pronounced eye stripe than the curlew.
  
  
• The whimbrel also has stripes on its head which the curlew lacks.
  
  
• The curlew has a longer beak with a more gentle downward curve.