First documented record of Hudsonian whimbrel (Numenius hudsonicus) in Paraguay

Abstract

The Hudsonian whimbrel Numenius hudsonicus is a migratory shorebird that breeds in Arctic Canada and Alaska (USA) and occurs primarily in coastal habitats during the nonbreeding season in Latin America and the Caribbean. Inland records in South America are rare. Here we report the first documented record of Hudsonian whimbrel for Paraguay. A single individual was observed on a sandbank on 26 November 2025 during a boat-based survey of shorebirds along the Paraguay River in the department of Cordillera. The bird was identified based on its size, structure, plumage, and wing-tail proportions, which excluded other curlew species. This record also represents the first documented occurrence of Hudsonian whimbrel within the Paraná-Paraguay watershed and suggests that the species is a very rare inland vagrant in southern South America.