Eastern Curlews are the largest of all the world’s shorebirds, and call their call, a mournful ‘Cuuuurrlew’, ringing out beautifully across vast coastal wetlands. Their impressive bill, which is characteristic of the species, is used to probe the mud and dig up crabs, their main food source in Australia. Sadly, its down-curved shape also mimics the decline of Australia’s migratory shorebirds. The Eastern Curlew occurs only in our flyway, and about 75 per cent of the world’s curlews winter in Australia, so we have a particular responsibility to protect coastal wetlands for them and the smaller shorebirds that live in their shadow. The Eastern Curlew is the largest wader that visits Australia, with a very long down-curved bill. The female's bill is usually longer than the male's and averages 185 mm in length. It is a bulky, dark-streaked brown wader, with a long neck and legs. When flying, the barred flight feathers are visible, lighter under the wings and dark above. They are wary birds, quick to take flight. Their wing beats are slow and deliberate, unlike the rapid beats of the Whimbrel. Other names are Curlew and Australian or Sea Curlew.

The Eastern Curlew is widespread in coastal regions in the north-east and south of Australia, including Tasmania, and scattered in other coastal areas. It is rarely seen inland. It breeds in Russia and north-eastern China. On passage, they are commonly seen in Japan, Korea and Borneo. Small numbers visit New Zealand. The Eastern Curlew is found on intertidal mudflats and sandflats, often with beds of seagrass, on sheltered coasts, especially estuaries, mangrove swamps, bays, harbours and lagoons. The Eastern Curlew is a migratory species, moving south by day and night, usually along coastlines, leaving breeding areas from mid-July to late September. They arrive in north-western and eastern Australia mainly in August. Large numbers appear on the east coast from September to November. Most leave again from late February to March.

The main focus areas of the journal includes but not limited to animal viral diseases, animal-welfare, aquaculture production, fisheries-research, hybrid poultry, natural resource management, poultry diseases, poultry management and processing, poultry physiology and diseases, poultry vaccine, poultry-farming, wild-life overkill, wildlife conservation, wildlife ecology, wildlife research, wildlife-demography, wildlife-diseases and zoonotic disease.

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