Eskimo Curlew
Numenius borealis
This large shorebird species had 100% of its small known breeding range in Arctic Canada. Formerly abundant, the population collapsed in the late 1800s, mainly due to uncontrolled market hunting and dramatic losses in the amount and quality of spring stopover habitat in native grasslands. The population has never recovered, and there have been no records of birds confirmed with photographs or specimens since 1963. It is possible that it soon will be declared “Extinct” in Canada based on the rule of 50 years having passed since the last confirmed record of its existence.