- Glareola nuchalis
Identification
18–19 cm (7-7½ in)
- Brownish-grey upperparts
- White line from behind eye forming a collar at the nape
- White rump and tail base
Distribution
Africa
Western Africa: found in Guinea, Mali, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Zaire
Eastern Africa: Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana
African Islands: Gulf of Guinea Islands, Bioko (Fernando Po)
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies1:
- G. n. liberiae - Sierra Leone to w Cameroon
- G. n. nuchalis - Chad to Ethiopia and s to Zambia, Namibia and Mozambique
Habitat
Tropical, rocky riverine areas, sometimes resting on the sandbars.
Behaviour
Often seen in large flocks.
Diet
Their insectivorous diet consists of flies, ants, beetles, mainly caught on the wing at dawn.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved April 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Rock Pratincole. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 10 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rock_Pratincole