The whimbrel is a large shorebird that is 1.4-1.5 feet (0.43-0.46 m) in length with a wingspan of 2.6-2.7 feet (0.8-0.83 m).
It has a long, down-curved dark brown bill and long gray legs. It is streaked brown on its uppersides, neck, and breast, and white on its belly and rump. It has a dark brown crown, a grayish line above its eye, and a dark brown line that runs over its eyes like a mask.
The whimbrel lives on the tundra in the breeding season. In the winter, it is found in coastal areas on mudflats, marshes, and shorelines.
The male whimbrel flies in circles over the breeding territory and sings as he tries to attract a mate.
The female lays 3-5 eggs in a depression on the ground that is lined with moss, grass, and lichen. Both parents incubate the eggs. Incubation takes 27-28 days.
The chicks are precocial and leave the nest and feed themselves shortly after they are born. Both parents care for the chicks until they fledge (develop flight feathers) 34-42 days after hatching.
The whimbrel has a lifespan of 12-24 years.
Whimbrels aggressively protect their nesting areas and may even attack humans if they come too close to their nest.
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The whimbrel does not breed in New Hampshire.
It can be found in the state from July to September, almost exclusively in the Hampton‐Seabrook Estuary.
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