Peruvian Thick-knee
Hesperoburhinus superciliaris
Distinctive, large nocturnal “shorebird” of dry desert habitats in lowlands. Note the big pale eyes, striped head, and long pale yellowish legs. Favors sandy and stony soils, often with scattered vegetation; even found in small dirt lots in towns and villages, where it seems fairly tolerant of people. Usually found as pairs or small groups. Spends the day resting, often sitting on the ground in the shade. Prefers to run, rather than fly when alarmed. Active at night, when far-carrying yaps reveal its presence.
Identification
This medium-sized bird has brownish-grey plumage with brown streaks and spots. The underparts are white and the legs are yellow and long. There is a white streak through the eye with a black upper border. The short beak has a black tip. The length is about 40 cm (16 in).
Taxonomy
The Peruvian thick-knee was formally described in 1843 by the Swiss naturalist Johann Jakob von Tschudi from a specimen collected in the coastal region of Peru. He coined the binomial name Oedicnenus superciliaris (the genus name is a typographic error for Oedicnemus). The specific epithet is Modern Latin meaning "eyebrowed" (supercillium is the Latin word for "eyebrow"). The Peruvian thick-knee is now placed in the genus Burhinus that was erected in 1811 by the German zoologist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger. In IOC 14.1, the Peruvian thick-knee was transferred to the newly described genus Hesperoburhinus. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Hesperoburhinus superciliaris
- Authority
- (Tschudi, 1843)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Burhinidae
- Genus
- Hesperoburhinus
Range and habitat
The Peruvian thick-knee is found in South America in the coastal strip between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes. Its range extends from northern Chile, through Peru to southern Ecuador. Its typical habitat is semi-desert areas, agricultural land, dry pasture or well-vegetated river valleys. It particularly favours open crops such as alfalfa or corn.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Peruvian thick-knee is most active at night. The diet is not known but the bird moves about on the ground foraging, probably feeding on insects, small lizards and other small animals. It runs across the ground in a manner similar to an ostrich. It roosts in the open during the day, remaining motionless and difficult to spot as it is well-camouflaged by its brownish plumage. Its presence in an area may be most easily detected by its distinctive three-toed footprints in soft sand, and at night by its calls which are somewhat reminiscent of a lapwing (Vanellus sp.).<p>Little is known of the reproduction of this species but a nest containing two eggs has been observed in June on the Cerros de Naupe, a range of low mountains in Peru. The nesting site was on a dry, sparsely-vegetated slope with clumps of shrubs and cacti. The nest was a scrape in the ground with the area around it cleared of debris. The eggs were cream-coloured with blotches of tan and darker brown and measured approximately 53 by 39 millimetres (2.1 in × 1.5 in). One parent was incubating the eggs while the other stood in the shade a few metres away.
Conservation
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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