The Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis is endemic to the East Asian – Australasian Flyway, is the largest migratory shorebird species in the world and is listed Endangered under IUCN criteria (IUCN, 2015).

Recent evidence suggests that the Far Eastern Curlew has undergone a significant decline over the past 20 years. Drivers of this decline are likely due to habitat loss, human disturbance and possibly hunting. Successful conservation of this species requires urgent collaborative action across its full geographical range, including at breeding locations, at important migration stop-over sites as well as in non-breeding areas.

At the Eighth Meeting of Partners (MOP8) of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway Partnership in Kushiro, Japan, Australia proposed the formation of a Far Eastern Curlew Task Force. Australia sought the commitment from all Partners, including all relevant government Partners, to cooperatively develop an International Far Eastern Curlew Action Plan. The Far Eastern Curlew Task Force was officially endorsed by the Partnership in January 2015.

Goal:

To restore the Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis to a favourable conservation status and remove it from the threatened categories on the IUCN Red List.

Role:

The role of the EAAFP Far Eastern Curlew Task Force will be to:

• Coordinate the development of the International Far Eastern Curlew Action Plan;
• Consult and support range states on identifying specific threats and actions to support the survival of Far Eastern Curlew;
• Encourage and support range states on the implementation of the Action Plan.

Task Force Chair:
Dr. Mark Carey
Assistant Director
Biodiversity Conservation Division, Protected Species and Communities Branch, Migratory Species Section
Department of the Environment and Energy
Australian Government
TEL: +61 (0)2 6274 1873
Email: [email protected]

Bio: Mark obtained his PhD at La Trobe University, Australia in 2011 where he examined the effects of investigator disturbance on the reproductive success of Short-tailed Shearwaters. He joined the Australian Government’s Department of the Environment in 2012 where he works on migratory species policy. Since joining the Department, Mark has had exposure to a wide range of international environmental agreements including Ramsar, CMS and Australia’s three migratory bird treaties with Japan, China and the Republic of Korea.

Task Force Coordinator: (Vacant)

Task Force Documents:

• Single Species Action Plan for Far Eastern Curlew
• Minutes of the Far Eastern Curlew TF meeting at MOP9 (12 January 2017)

Relevant Materials:

• Teepol B, Kong D, Majri N, Au NJ. (2023) Exploratory surveys to clarify the status of the Far Eastern Curlew on the Sarawak coastline in Borneo, Malaysia
• Klokov KB, Ivanovich MA, Valentinovich PV, Leonidovna ME, Evgenievich SE, Antonov A, Sasin AA (2023) Evaluation of Hunting Pressure on Shorebirds in the Russian Far East, with Special Attention to Numenius (Curlews, Whimbrels) and Other Threatened Species; Stage III: Surveys in Khabarovskiy Krai and Amur Oblast
• The Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB) Shorebirds Brochure, 2023 (v1.6) — 马来西亚砂拉越洲峇哥文丹海滨之滨鸟
• The Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB) Shorebirds Brochure, 2023 (v1.7) — Burung-Burung Pantai Di Teluk Bako Buntal, Sarawak, Malaysia
• The Malaysian Nature Society Kuching Branch (MNSKB) Shorebirds Brochure, 2023 (v1.6) — Shorebirds of Bako Buntal Bay, Sarawak, Malaysia
• BirdsRussia report on shorebird hunting 2019
• Birds Korea. 2021. Survey of Far Eastern Curlew: July 21st-25th 2021. EAAFP Secretariat & Far Eastern Curlew Network in the Korean Peninsula (Eng)
• Birds Korea. 2021. Survey of Far Eastern Curlew: July 21st-25th 2021. EAAFP Secretariat & Far Eastern Curlew Network in the Korean Peninsula (Kor)
• EKSAI Foundation. 2021. Far Eastern Curlew Potential Site Survey at Sumatra Island, Indonesia (2020). EAAFP Secretariat, Hwaseong City
• EKSAI Foundation. 2022. Report of Long-Term Monitoring of Far Eastern Curlew by Local Birdwatcher in Sumatra, Indonesia (2021-2022). . EAAFP Secretariat, Hwaseong Eco Foundation, and Hwaseong City
• Dy. I & V. Natural. 2023. Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) Census (2022, the Philippines). EAAFP Secretariat, Hwaseong Eco Foundation, and Hwaseong City.

More information about the Far Eastern Curlew

Far Eastern Curlew Range States (EAAFP Partners indicated by *)
Australia*, Bangladesh*, Brunei, China*, Fiji, Guam (to USA*), Indonesia*, Japan*, Malaysia*, Micronesia, Mongolia*, Myanmar*, New Zealand*, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Northern Mariana Islands (to USA*), Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines*, Republic of Korea*, Russian Federation*, Singapore*, Thailand*, Timor–Leste, Vietnam*.

Relevant news and articles

• The importance of artificial roosts for migratory shorebirds (Jun 2017)

Click here for more information about the Far Eastern Curlew.