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Both Scott and Robbins et al. also show details of both species in flight from below and above. Peterson's standing Eskimo Curlew is partly hidden by a Whimbrel and his Eskimo underwing lining, i.e., excluding primaries and secondaries, is incorrectly shown as unbarred. The other two guides show barring and authors from Audubon (1967:6:48) through Coues (1903:844) to Oberholser (1974:374) refer to the underwing lining as barred or spotted or marked. Side, front and flying views of both species are presented here (Figs. 2-7); leg differences are shown in Fig. 8.

Robbins et al. give the lengths as 11 and 14 in. (28 and 35.5 cm) for Eskimo Curlew and Whimbrel, respectively, from tip of bill to tip of tail for birds "hand-held in natural positions." As a general rule they state that individual birds may be 10% longer or shorter than this average. Scott and Peterson give total lengths of stretched-out birds' the former giving 14 and 17.5 in. (35.5 and 45 cm) for Eskimo and Whimbrel' and the latter 12-14 in. (30-35.5 cm)and 15-19 in. (38-48 cm), respectively. For a frequent associate of the Eskimo Curlew, the Lesser Golden-Plover, the three guides give lengths of 9, 10.5 and 9.5- 11 in. (23, 27 and 24-29 cm), respectively.

A "good" identification of an Eskimo Curlew is facilitated by familiarity or field comparison with Whimbrels (and other shorebirds) for length, bulk and bill, and by careful attention to the underwing - the lack of barring on the primaries and the cinnamon wing lining. Eskimo Curlews on the ground will occasionally raise their wings above the back permitting determination of details of the underwing.

Little Curlew: None of the three North American guides illustrates this bird and only Robbins et al. mention the underwing difference, buffy in this species (and barred; Roselaar 1983:482). More detailed comparisons of Eskimo and Little curlews can be found in Farrand 1977, Prater et al. 1977, Gooders 1979 and Boswall and Veprintsev 1985.

The following detailed plumage descriptions of Eskimo Curlew are from Oberholser (1974:334): "Adults, nuptial plumage: Acquired by partial prenuptial molt. Pileum [crown] fuscous black or fuscous, feathers edged with pale buff or buffy white and with narrow middle stripe of pale buff, much interrupted by dark brown streaks or spots, and not so well defined as in Hudsonian Curlew, P. hudsonicus; hindneck pale buff, streaked with fuscous; upper surface fuscous black or fuscous, all feathers spotted on edges with buffy white, cinnamon buff, or dull cinnamon, these markings becoming irregular bars on upper tail-coverts; tail hair brown, narrowly and numerously barred with dull brownish neutral gray, primaries plain fuscous, without lighter markings, but darker at tips, paler on inner webs, shaft of outermost yellowish white, except at tip, shafts of two succeeding feathers brownish white or pale fuscous, rest light brown or fuscous; secondaries hair brown, paler on inner webs; tertials and anterior lesser wing-coverts like back, but wing-coverts with only slight buffy white tips; remainder of lesser wing-coverts like back, but somewhat paler, and greater coverts hair brown with narrow buffy white edgings; sides of head, including superciliary stripe, buffy white, cheeks narrowly streaked with fuscous; lores with more or less ill-defined streak of same; sides of neck dull buffy white, streaked with fuscous; chin and upper throat buffy white; remainder of lower surface between pinkish buff and vinaceous buff, anteriorly streaked narrowly with fuscous, on breast with irregular V-shaped bars; sides and flanks broadly barred with fuscous; lateral and longest lower tailcoverts with a few narrow irregular bars of fuscous; lining of wing and axillars cinnamon, barred with fuscous. Bill brownish black, base of mandible pale light orange; iris dark brown; legs and feet dark grayish blue or greenish black; claws black. Adults, winter: Acquired by complete postnuptial molt. Similar to nuptial adults, but somewhat more deeply or richly colored. First nuptial: Acquired by partial prenuptial molt. Very similar to nuptial adults. First winter: Acquired probably by partial postjuvenal molt. Similar to first nuptial, differing probably only in retention of some juvenal feathers. Juvenal: Acquired by complete postnatal molt. Similar to adults in winter except feathers of back, scapulars, tertials, and upper wing-coverts, more broadly margined with narrow spots or bars of pinkish buff or cinnamon; also lower surface has fewer dark markings."

A summary of the physical features of the three species has been compiled from a large number of authorities (Table 2). Extremes in measurements, rather than averages, have been given to show the degree of overlap that must be considered, even when similar species are nearby. We do not know if there are enough young included in the measurements to give their full range.

We have not attempted to describe differences in vocalizations.

Figure 2. Eskimo Curlew, Galveston Island, Texas, 1962. Don Bleitz.	Figure 4. Little Curlew near Santa Maria, California, 6 October 1984. Arnold Small.
Figure 3. Another Eskimo Curlew, Galveston Island, Texas, 1962. Note differences in the bill. Don Bleitz.	Figure 5. Whimbrel near Churchill, Manitoba. Stan Shadick.

Figure 7. Eskimo Curlew and Whimbrel in flight, from below. Alan Smith.

Table 2. Physical characteristics of Eskimo Curlew, Whimbrel and Little Curlew.

*Probably less reliable than for other species.

Figure 8. Legs of Little Curlew (left) and Eskimo Curlew (right) (Seebohm 1888). Whimbrel is like Eskimo Curlew.