Longish legged wading bird, similar looking to a curlew - but slightly smaller and less lanky. These birds are rather more "squat" than the curlews, This birds has two dark stripes along the top of their head.

The long bill which is slightly less downward curved than the curlews is not usually used to probe the mud for food - instead the Whimbrel picks food of the surface just beneath the sand or mud. When they eat crabs they break each leg off in turn before eating the body of the crab. They have a clear white rump in flight.

These birds nests are simple shallow scrapes in the ground - usually in low grass or heather - there will be 4 eggs and just one brood between May and July. The male's courts the female with a high circling song flight - a prolonged bubbling

The male and the female whimbrel incubate (22-28 days) and raise the young. When the chicks are dry, they leave the nest and stay hidden among the surrounding vegetation. Both parents look after their chicks until they fledge - usually 35-40 days