The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Curlew \Cur"lew\ (k[^u]r"l[=u]), n. [F. courlieu, corlieu,
   courlis; perh. of imitative origin, but cf. OF. corlieus
   courier; L. currere to run + levis light.] (Zool.)
   A wading bird of the genus Numenius, remarkable for its
   long, slender, curved bill.
   [1913 Webster]

   Note: The common European curlew is Numenius arquatus. The
         long-billed (Numenius longirostris), the Hudsonian
         (Numenius Hudsonicus), and the Eskimo curlew
         (Numenius borealis, are American species. The name is
         said to imitate the note of the European species.
         [1913 Webster]

   Curlew Jack (Zool.) the whimbrel or lesser curlew.

   Curlew sandpiper (Zool.), a sandpiper (Tringa ferruginea
      or Tringa subarquata), common in Europe, rare in
      America, resembling a curlew in having a long, curved
      bill. See Illustation in Appendix.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

curlew
    n 1: large migratory shorebirds of the sandpiper family; closely
         related to woodcocks but having a down-curved bill

U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000):

Curlew, IA -- U.S. city in Iowa
   Population (2000):    62
   Housing Units (2000): 36
   Land area (2000):     0.758220 sq. miles (1.963780 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.758220 sq. miles (1.963780 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            17895
   Located within:       Iowa (IA), FIPS 19
   Location:             42.980293 N, 94.737480 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     50527
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Curlew, IA
    Curlew