Page 170 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WADERS
Order Charadriiformes Family Glareolidae Species Glareola pratincola
Collared Pratincole red on

small bill
brown upperwings with black line through
black outer half eye extends
around pale bib
long wings
earth-brown
white upperparts
trailing
edge copper-red dark
underwing coverts breast
often look dark
ADULT
white IN FLIGHT
rump
pale belly
forked tail

faint pale
spots

no black
outline to bib ADULT

JUVENILE
FLIGHT: elegant, swooping action, changing pace
lovely, specialized wader with an aerial feeding and direction, with erratic twists and turns.
Atechnique that has helped it to evolve a swallow-
like form, the Collared Pratincole is basically a
Mediterranean bird which occasionally strays farther
north. It is a long, tapered bird, but when standing
hunched up with its feathers fluffed out, it can look
dumpy, almost round except for its protruding
wingtips and tail. In the air, however, it has the skill
and manoeuvrability of a Black Tern (see p.224).
The Collared Pratincole often feeds in small parties.
VOICE Sharp, far-carrying, tern-like kit, kitik,
rhythmic kirri-tik-kit-ik.
NESTING Shallow scrape in dry mud on ground; RESTING BETWEEN MEALS
loose colonies; 2 or 3 eggs; 1 brood;April–July. The Collared Pratincole typically sits or stands on the ground for long
FEEDING Catches insects in bill while flying. spells between bouts of feeding.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
In summer, in S Spain, Portugal,
uniform France, Italy, and Balkans, rare
upperwings
vagrant elsewhere. In extensive
short areas of flat, dry mud and damp
tail pasture, bare ground, marshes
and deltas drained for farmland,
white belly and salt pans.
GREEN SANDPIPER similar in flight BLACK-WINGED PRATINCOLE Seen in the UK
but less floating; see p.186 see p.420 JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 24–28cm (9 1 ⁄2 –11in) Wingspan 60–70cm (23 1 ⁄2 –28in) Weight 50–80g (1 3 ⁄4–2 7 ⁄8oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan Up to 5 years Status Endangered
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