1875 21 Feb. 2/1 The little Parisian lady...claps her hands in extravagant delight when she sees the pink curlew or some other gayly-colored bird.
1938 H. C. Oberholser 81 Roseate Spoonbill... Its color has given rise to most of its names, and it is known popularly often as ‘pink curlew’, or simple ‘pink bird’.
1969 R. J. Longstreet (ed. 4) 30 Roseate Spoonbill—Other names: Pink Curlew.