Rock Pratincole
Glareola nuchalis
Small, dark, short-legged pratincole. In flight, shows a white rump and white stripes under the wings. Found mainly on rocks in fast-flowing rivers. Locally will also use sandbars in rivers and rocky islands in lakes. The call is a high-pitched and quickly repeated “kek.” Separated from other pratincoles by its combination of small size, dark coloration, and stripes under the wings.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Glareola nuchalis
- Authority
- Gray, GR, 1849
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Glareolidae
- Genus
- Glareola
Range and habitat
There are two subspecies of rock pratincole: Glareola nuchalis associates with the rocks along the embankments of rivers and lakes as its seasonal movements are determined by local water levels. These intra-African migrants occur peripherally along the coast of South Africa in the equatorial regions. They migrate when areas are flooded and arrive when rocks emanate during drought. They live in flocks of about 26 pairs in and on the rocks feeding upon insects in the morning and evening and wading in the cool waters during the heat of the day. They will feed during day if overcast is present and can be routinely seen perched on a hippopotamus scavenging for insects. Its diet consists mostly of flies, moths, ants, beetles, grasshoppers and cicadas. Their prey is attacked aerially.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Pacific Baza
Aviceda subcristata
Conspicuous medium-sized hawk with broad paddle-shaped wings that pinch in close to the body. When perched it is easily distinguished from other species by small black crest on the back of gray head and enormous yellow eyes, prominent brown stripes on white belly. Often found in suburban areas. Crashes into foliage to snatch insect prey. Has distinctive "mee-choo" call.
Sulawesi Cicadabird
Edolisoma morio
A thrush-sized gray songbird. Male is dark slaty-gray on the back and black below, with pale wing markings. Gray-backed female shows extensively barred pale buffy underparts. Singles and pairs inhabit the canopy of forest and wooded patches in the lowlands and foothills. Confined to Sulawesi and adjacent small islands. The vocalizations are an insect-like, buzzing “weerr-weerr-weerr …” song, a high-pitched whining “weeer” call, and harsher “chuk-chuk-chuk” notes.
Wing-barred Piprites
Piprites chloris
Small manakin-like bird that is actually a flycatcher. Looks big-headed with a short bill and large dark eyes. Olive-green above and yellow below, with a gray mask and two conspicuous wingbars. Several subspecies vary in the brightness of their plumage and in having a gray or yellow belly. Found in humid forests, including Araucaria forests and often follows mixed-species flocks. The song is a very slow and soft “whip, pip-pip, piririipip, pipi.”
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