General News
5 December, 2025
Stone curlews
BARRY'S CORNER: I was reminded last week about the rarely seen but often heard stone curlew.
This a bird of the night and is particularly cryptic which means it sits quietly on the ground during the day; it blends with its surroundings.
The bird will lay motionless on the ground until it is almost stepped on and if it is flushed chances are it will fly a short distance and then run.
A nest is almost impossible to spot because the bird has such good camouflage.
The reminder for me was the give way call. It does not call all that often especially during the daylight hours.
The night call is shrill and can be heard from a fair distance and once heard it stays with you as whistle.
Curlews are a bird of the bush but can be seen and often heard around the edge of towns.
If disturbed they flush from their roost and they can run fast but can fly short distances to escape predators.
For a nest site they select a flat spot surrounded by scattered tree branches, a clump of thistles or grass that is not too high.
A curlew likes to be aware of approaching trouble such as cats, tractors and foxes.
There is no effort put into a nest and one or two eggs are laid directly on there and you have to be sharp eyed to find them.
Curlews have been under pressure for many years because enormous areas of their habitat has been cleared and lost, especially since World War 2 when more efficient tree killers were developed such as bulldozers and chainsaws.
Curlews were once found widely across the region and still hang on various districts.
Land care has been a life saver for the remnant numbers by giving more tree shelter to the birds.
Even though curlews do not perch in tree branches.
They are also a solitary bird and generally two is a group.
I have seen protection areas established in some districts that consist of a high fence around a small section and the birds fly over the fence while cats and foxes are excluded.
Curlews are a fascinating species.
Vale for Jim McGuire who passed away in early November, a great loss as an environment warrior.
He always had an improved environment in the Wimmera in his work ethic and high principles.