Abstract

The migration routes of Eastern Curlews, Numenius madagascariensis, were tracked from their breeding areas, Amur River basin and Kamchatka, in Russia between 1998 and 2000. The Quqihar–Baicheng area, the Suangtaiz River mouth, the Yancheng Nature Reserve and the Korean Demilitarised Zone were used by a high proportion of Curlews, and for the longest periods, and are therefore considered to be the most important stopover points for curlews. The start of migration was early to mid June for the Curlews breeding in Amur River basin and early to mid July for the Curlews breeding in Kamchatka. The results suggest that Curlews start migration before their chicks can fly.