Sanctuary | Photo Feature
The Eurasian Curlew
Numenius arquata is a wader in
the family Scolopacidae. It is quite
a large wader with a long, slightly
down-curved bill. It primarily feeds
on annelids, arthropods, crustaceans,
molluscs, seeds and berries, which it
scans in the soft mud of intertidal
zones and in marshy areas. It feeds by
pecking, jabbing and probing deep in
the mud or damp soil. It has an edge
over all other waders in that its
large bill can reach depths which
others’ can’t. Like few other waders,
it has been seen washing its prey in
water prior to swallowing it.
Hardik Pala
The Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres is a small wading
bird. The bird has a small, black, slightly
upturned beak and stands true to its
name when it comes to foraging and
feeding. It keeps turning small stones
and vacant shells while foraging on
the moist surface mud. It sometimes
also uses its beak to dig in the soil
and seaweeds for potential prey. It
occasionally uses its beak to open the
shell of small gastropods.
Shashank Dalvi