The slender-billed curlew, Numenius tenuirostris, "the slim beak of the
new moon," is one of the world's rarest birds. It once bred in Siberia
and wintered in the Mediterranean basin, passing through the wetlands
and estuaries of Italy, Greece, the Balkans and Central Asia. Today, the
slender-billed curlew only exists as a rumour, a ghost species
surrounded by unconfirmed sightings and speculation. The only certainty
is that it now stands on the edge of extinction. This is a story of
beauty, triumph and the struggles of conservation. It is a homage to a
creature that may never be seen again.