Eskimo Curlews were once one of the most common shorebirds of the Americas. Huge flocks made the overland journey from South America to their breeding grounds in Alaska and Canada. In winter, the birds headed south to New England before embarking on a remarkable nonstop flight to South America. 

In the 1800s, the extinction of the Eskimo Curlew was caused by overhunting and habitat loss, as the prairies were plowed under for agriculture. In addition, the loss of a primary food source, the Rocky Maintain Grasshopper, added to its demise.