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| SPECIES GUIDE >>
PRATINCOLES GENERAL |
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Pratincoles
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Job
K Joseph (October 2005) |
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The
Pratincoles are a family of small
to medium sized shorebirds with
slim, elongated bodies, large gapes,
short and decurved beaks, and long,
tern-like wings. Most pratincoles
(7 species in the genus Glareola)
are often water edge birds, some
preferring muddy margins of lakes
or estuaries. A fair number are
highly migratory.They feed mainly
by hawking insects. The sexes are
similar.
Here we cover the three kinds of
pratincoles found in India, Small
Pratincole, Oriental Pratincole
and Collared Pratincole. There is
no adequate information on the exact
distribution of Collared and Oriental
Pratincoles because they were earlier
treated as one species and all such
records are thus not useful anymore.
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Identification features:
All the three pratincoles have
black beaks, slightly curved downward at
the tips, with a bright red gape, which
is visible only when in close proximity.
The eyes are relatively big compared to
the size of the head, round and black, with
a whitish fleshy eye-ring. They have short,
dark-colored legs and feet.
They have long pointed wings and long
forked tails. Their most unusual feature
for birds classed as waders is that they
typically hunt their insect prey on the
wing like swallows, although they can
also feed on the ground. They have short
bills, with a really wide gape, which
is an adaptation to aerial feeding.
During breeding, 2-4 eggs are laid on
a scrape on bare ground.
Let us now see how the three pratincole
species differ in size, features, habits
and distribution. |
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Small
Pratincole Glareola lactea
copyright Nikhil Devasar |
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Small
Pratincole Glareola lactea
copyright Nikhil Devasar |
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Small
Pratincole (Other names : Small
Indian Pratincole, Little Pratincole)
Found mostly near water, on the banks of
large, shallow rivers, tanks, or jheels.
Feeds on insects mostly caught in flight
or sometimes off the surface of the water.
Breeds on dry lakebeds /tankbeds/riverbeds
during Feb-April. In the breeding season
the lores are black, and the throat has
a buffish wash. Crown pale grey,mantle pale
sandy-grey, throat buffish, breast buffish-grey,
belly white. From a distance, an overall
pale grey-sandy coloration. In flight black
primaries and white-tipped secondaries contrast
with the sandy-grey mantle. Black-tipped
square tail.
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Distraction
display copyright Clement
Francis
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Distraction
display copyright Clement
Francis
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Distribution:
This bird is a resident and found
almost all over India. There have
been breeding records as far south
as Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary,
Kerala.
Call:
Tuck Tuck Tuck or Tiririt Tiririt
Tiririt when flushed. |
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Small
Pratincole Glareola lactea
copyright Sujan Chatterjee |
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Distraction
display copyright Anand Arya |
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These
gregarious birds co-operate
in the defence of nests
and young against predation
and also indulge in “distraction
display” of injury
feigning to lure the intruder
away. Other complex behaviour
patterns during breeding
involve display flights
with wings held high above
the back and greeting
displays. |
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Oriental
Pratincole (Other
names: Large Indian Pratincole,
Black-winged Pratincole, Eastern
Collared Pratincole)
Can be described as a swallowish-looking
large brown bird. Underwing
coverts reddish-brown.Sports
a collar that stretches between
the eyes and encompasses the
palish throat which turns
yellowish during the breeding
season. Upperparts a warm
brown
color, lower breast ochre
and belly whitish.
The Oriental pratincole is
resident, gregarious, crepuscular,
and found on bare flats of
large rivers and marshes,
often near water. It keeps
to flocks of 30- 40 or more,
hawk insects in air like swallows.
The white forked tail has
black feathertips.
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Oriental
Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
copyright Sumit Sen |
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Oriental
Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
copyright Sumit Sen |
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Distribution:
Widespread resident. The Oriental Pratincole
has been found breeding in Punjab, Haryana
and in Katampally, Kerala. |
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Oriental
Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
"1st Winter"
copyright Alister Benn; 2005
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Oriental
Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
"1st Winter"
copyright Alister Benn; 2005
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Collared
Pratincole (Other
names : Common Pratincole)
Earlier considered conspecific
with the Oriental Pratincole,
but has earned separate species
status. The Collared Pratincole
is very similar in most respects
to Oriental Pratincole, and
believed to be migratory.
Separated from Oriental Pratincole
by paler mantle, pale tips
to secondaries, more prominently
forked tail, and the tip of
the longer tail reaching the
tips of primaries when perched.
Distribution:
Believed to breed in Pakistan
and visit India in winter.
Call: A sharp
Kikki-kirrik
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Collared
Pratincole Glareola pratincola
copyright Aurélien
Audevard |
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Adult
breeding copyright Theodosis
Mamais |
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Adult
non breeding copyright Theodosis
Mamais |
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Collared
Pratincole Glareola pratincola copyright
Theodosis Mamais |
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