From Opus

Adult
Photo by lior kislev
Eylat, Israel, May 2007

Glareola nordmanni

[edit] Identification

24–28 cm
Adult:

• Brown head and back
• Black flight feathers and under wing
• Buff chin and throat (bordered in summer by a thin black line)
• White belly and rump
• Short black bill with red base (reduced in winter)
• Black legs
• Long forked tail

First Winter
Photo by Redbishop
Bet Shean Valley, Israel, October 2006

Younger birds: the juvenile plumage is checkered in black and brownish, the throat is not distinct, and the bill is all black. The first moult should take place in early fall and be a nearly complete moult leading to first winter plumage, still with indistinct throat, black bill, but now with almost adult colors except for pale fringes on the feathers in fresh plumage.

The change to first summer plumage involves a partial moult that however can start as early as September in the same year that the bird is born, leading to an extreme variation of plumages that can be seen in say October: varying from almost identical with an adult to birds not having moulted more than half of their checkered juvenile plumage.

[edit] Similar Species

Darker than Collared Pratincole and lacks the light trailing edge to the inner wings.

[edit] Distribution

First Winter
Photo by lior kislev
Beyt Shean Valley, Israel, October 2007

Breeds from Romania to southwestern Russia and northern Kazakhstan; winters to South Africa.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

Open country near water. Breeds on marshes and wet meadows.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

The clutch consists of 2-4 eggs which are laid on the ground.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects, either caught aerially or found on the ground.

Photo by lior kislev
Eylat.k20. Israel, May 2007

[edit] Vocalisation

Call: similar to, but lower-pitched than Collared Pratincole; kettek, pwik-kik-kik

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
3. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
4. Birdforum thread discussing age of a first winter bird

• List of references

[edit] External Links