Small Pratincole
Glareola lactea
Small bird that resembles a combination of a dove, a swallow, and a plover. Soft gray-brown with a tan wash on the throat and black lores. Black-and-white wing pattern prominent in flight. Flight agile and erratic, resembling a bat or swallow; frequently flies in flocks at dusk. Favors rocky or sandy islands in rivers, but can also be found in marshes, estuaries, and lakesides. Distinguished from other pratincoles in range by smaller size and gray plumage. Calls are a high rolling “chirrit!”, reminiscent of terns.
Identification
This bird has short legs, long pointed wings and a short tail. Its short bill is an adaptation to aerial feeding. On the ground, it looks mainly pale grey (hence lactea, milky). The crown of the head is brown.<p>The wings are grey above with black primaries and black and white bars at the rear edge of the inner flight feathers. The underwings are mainly black. The tail is white with a black terminal triangle. The belly is white.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Glareola lactea
- Authority
- Temminck, 1820
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Glareolidae
- Genus
- Glareola
Range and habitat
The small pratincole is a resident breeder in India, Western Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It breeds from December to March on gravel or sand banks near rivers and lakes, laying 2–4 eggs in a ground scrape. Breeding areas include small areas in northern Karnataka (manvi district raichur.(and along the Hemavathi River) and northern Kerala near Kannur.<p>This species is only 16.5–18.5 cm (6.5–7.3 in) in length, with a 42–48 cm (17–19 in) wingspan. Because of its small size, the small pratincole can be briefly confused in flight with swifts or swallows.
- Breeding range
- OR : foothills to sub-Himalayan rivers from ne s to Sri Lanka, e through Nepal, Bhutan, s Yunnan (s China) to Vietnam
- Non-breeding range
- to other waterbody types
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
The most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.<p>The small pratincole is a species of open country, and is often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Red-headed Bullfinch
Pyrrhula erythrocephala
Stunning masked finch of montane and foothill forests. Males have a bright orange head and breast; females have a light yellowish wash to the back of the head and neck. Both sexes have soft gray backs and black wing panels. Forages in small to medium-sized flocks in low vegetation on or near the ground; sluggish, often clambering about in shrubbery. Listen for soft tooting vocalizations.
European Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates pelagicus
Tiny black seabird with rounded tail tip, white rump, and white stripe on underside of wing. Like many other storm-petrels, can be fairly common but mainly offshore and rarely seen; breeds on rocky islands where it visits colonies at night. Feeds out at sea, sometimes following ships and fluttering fast and low in the wake (like a bumblebee). In direct comparison, appears about half the size of Leach’s Storm-Petrel, which has much stronger, bounding flight. Winters at sea in South Atlantic.
Narcondam Hornbill
Rhyticeros narcondami
A small hornbill with a black body, a white tail, and a strong pale bill with a flat, grooved casque on top. The male has a rust-colored head and breast, while the female’s head and breast are black. Found only on Narcondam island. Feeds on berries and fruits in tall trees. Calls include short, wavering notes with a somewhat nasal quality, as well as barks and grunts.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.