I came across this Long-billed Curlew at Antelope Island State Park in Utah on June 2, 2022. It’s one of those birds that stops you in your tracks. That bill is unlike anything else out there.
Wildlife Notes
The Long-billed Curlew is the largest shorebird found in North America by body length. The bill is the giveaway, long and deeply curved downward, and it makes up a significant portion of the bird’s total length. Females tend to have longer bills than males, though telling them apart in the field isn’t always easy.
These birds are grassland nesters. They breed across the interior West and Great Plains, favoring open, short-grass habitats. Antelope Island fits that profile well. The island sits in the Great Salt Lake and supports a mix of upland grassland and wetland edge, both of which attract shorebirds during the breeding season.
By early June, adults are still tied to nesting areas or actively foraging to feed young. They probe the soil and vegetation for grasshoppers, beetles, earthworms, and other invertebrates. On the edges of wetlands, they’ll also take small crabs and aquatic invertebrates.
Photography Notes
I shot this with my Canon EOS R5 and the RF 800mm f/11 IS STM lens. At 800mm and f/11, you’re working with a fixed maximum aperture, so the shutter speed and ISO do the heavy lifting. Here’s what I used:
- Exposure mode: Manual
- Aperture: f/11
- Shutter speed: 1/3200 sec
- ISO: 1600 (Auto)
- Focal length: 800mm
- Time: 10:26 a.m.
- Location: Antelope Island State Park, Utah
A shutter speed of 1/3200 is more than fast enough to freeze a standing or slowly moving bird. The higher ISO at 1600 is a trade-off for keeping that speed in mid-morning light. The RF 800mm f/11 is a lightweight option for this kind of travel shooting, and it paired well with the R5 on this trip.
Mid-morning light on Antelope Island can be harsh by late June, so 10:26 a.m. is about the latest I’d push it before contrast starts working against you. Getting low or finding a slight angle helps separate the bird from background clutter in open grassland.
You can learn more about Antelope Island State Park at the official Utah State Parks page.
Closing
Antelope Island is an underrated stop for wildlife photographers. The mix of bison, pronghorn, and shorebirds like this Long-billed Curlew Utah sighting makes it worth the detour. If you haven’t visited, put it on the list.