What do I eat?

Fiddler crabs, worms, shrimps, Insects, Leather jackets (Cranefly larvae) (yum!!) bilberries. What Whimbrel eat depends on where they are and what they may be doing.

Cranefly

Leather jackets (larvae)

When travelling long distances, stopping off to refuel (eat loads!) is a good idea. When they do this the birds feed for weeks, all day every day, non stop on insects (leather jackets) and worms.

When on breeding grounds Whimbrel chicks like midges and mosquitos. Adult birds will seek out bilberries in particular to fill up on before the long flight back to south Africa where their favourite nosh is fiddler crabs and shrimps.

 

Bilberry bush

Fiddler crab