Scimitar-billed large shorebird of varied open habitats. Note large size, overall brown plumage, and long, decurved bill (appreciably shorter on juvenile). In flight shows white back patch, mostly white underwings. Common call an onomatopoeic "coor-lee." Compare to smaller Whimbrel, which has head stripes, a piping whistled call, and Far Eastern Curlew, which has a buffy rump and extensively marked underwings. Breeds mainly in grasslands, from coastal marshes to upland moors; winters mainly in coastal lowlands, especially mudflats and adjacent marshes.