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Collared Pratincole - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 11:44, 10 May 2009 by Deliatodd-18346 (talk | contribs) (Photo of Juvenile, 2 flight photos (Summer & Autumn). Extra information added. Referenced)
Photo by Mugil
Location: Ulcinj, Montenegro (Adriatic coast)
Glareola pratincola

Identification

24–28 cm

  • Brown head, back and wings
  • Buff chin and throat (bordered in summer by a thin black line)
  • Dark wing tips with whitish trailing edges
  • Chestnut underwings
  • White belly and rump
  • Short black-tipped red bill
  • Short black legs
  • Long forked tail

Juvenile: mottled above and lacks the black line.

Similar Species

Summer bird in flight
Photo by sdaly
Barbate, SouthernSpain, June 2005

Black-winged Pratincole is darker overall and lacks the light trailing edge on the wings; the underwing is black.

Oriental Pratincole

Distribution

Southern Palearctic and tropical Africa. Europe, southwest Asia and Africa.
Vagrant to Northern Europe; annual in Britain and Ireland.

Taxonomy

Subspecies1

Habitat

Near water. Open country; mud flats with low vegetation. Also canals, wet meadows and saltpans.

Behaviour

Often crepuscular.

Flight

Rather tern-like when hawking for insects. Flight outline also recalls large hirundine.

Diet

The diet includes insects which are usually aerially hawked but also feeds on the ground.

Breeding

Breeds colonially. Two to four eggs are laid in a ground scrape.

Vocalisation

Call: hard kyik or kittik
<flashmp3>Glareola pratincola (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

  1. Wikipedia
  2. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
  3. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
  4. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

External Links

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