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Like all members of the curlew family, Eurasian Curlew numbers are in serious decline and accordingly its status is categorized as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Perhaps the greatest threats in Northern Europe are the loss of moorland to afforestation, intensification of farming and land drainage of its breeding habitat. Among its many other threats are significant losses of eggs and chicks due to changed farming methods, human disturbance on its nesting grounds, hunting and avian flu. Its wintering grounds, principally inter-tidal mudflats, are subject to land reclamation, pollution, hunting and mechanical shellfish gathering. In the Algarve, the mudflats at Quinta de Marim and the Canal de Tavira are important wintering sites for Eurasian Curlew where it can often be compared with its congeneric, Eurasian Whimbrel.
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