Page 422 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

CRANES/WADERS
Family Gruidae Species Anthropoides virgo Family Burhinidae Species Burhinus senegalensis
Demoiselle Crane Senegal Thick-knee

Obviously a crane, this large grey bird is not always This is a close relative of the Stone-curlew (see p.167)
easy to tell from the common Crane (see p.160), and can be distinguished only with care in a close
especially in flight. Good views reveal a white head view by a broad greyish band across the closed wing
plume, long black breast feathers, and neat, narrow (narrow black and white bands on Stone-curlew).
feathers (not bushy) cloaking the tail; in flight, the In flight, the white wingtip spots are slightly larger.
upperwing is less contrasted than on the Common Senegal Thick-knees are often seen on buildings or
Crane but wear increases the contrast as a pale grey in groups on muddy riverbanks,
“bloom” fades, and the smaller size is not obvious. unlike Stone-curlews.
Demoiselles are mainly Middle Eastern birds, regular OCCURRENCE In delta, along
in Cyprus, but very rare farther west. Nile, and Cairo, Egypt.
OCCURRENCE Rare in extreme VOICE Loud, ringing
E Europe. whistles varying
VOICE High, sharp in pitch and
trumpeting notes. volume.

ADULT
ADULT broad greyish
band

long black breast
feathers
Length 85–100cm (34–39in) Wingspan 1.55–1.8m (5–6ft) Length 38–45cm (15–18in) Wingspan 76–88cm (30–35in)

Family Glareolidae Species Cursorius cursor Family Glareolidae Species Glareola nordmanni
Cream-coloured Courser Black-winged Pratincole
This is a desert bird, only rarely straying beyond this Pratincoles are beautiful, elegant, aerial birds, although
harsh environment. It is hard to spot on the ground, they spend much time hunched on the ground.The
on which it moves in quick, jerky runs, Black-winged Pratincole is rather dark, with little red
head high, but striking in flight with on the bill, quite extensive black on the face, and a tail
black wingtips above and solidly black shorter than the wingtips (unlike Collared Pratincole,
underwings. Pale grey-buff or pinkish see p.168). It is easier to identify in flight, but lighting
buff, except for a grey nape and black effects demand care:the underwings are solidly blackish,
and white stripes behind the eye onto and the upperwing dark with no pale trailing
the nape, it has long, pale whitish- edge (Collared shows a white line).
grey legs. Juveniles have soft dark OCCURRENCE Breeds around
mottles above and the head Black Sea; rare migrant/vagrant
stripes are duller, the nape pale in W Europe mostly in summer.
grey-brown. VOICE Hard, grating flight
OCCURRENCE Breeds call, kettek or kit-i-kit.
in Middle East, North
Africa; rare vagrant ADULT (SUMMER)
farther north.
VOICE Short,high,
sharp flight calls. long pale
legs
ADULT

Length 24–27cm (9 1 ⁄2 –10 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 70cm (28in) Length 24–28cm (9 1 ⁄2 –11in) Wingspan 60–70cm (23 1 ⁄2 –28in)
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