Crab-Plover
Dromas ardeola
Utterly unmistakable large shorebird: gleaming white adult has a black back, black flight feathers, and a very heavy dark bill, which is used to dispatch crustaceans and other invertebrates. Narrow dark smudge around the eye imparts a sleepy appearance. Juvenile similar to adult but back pale brown. Inhabits sandy beaches and shorelines, as well as coral outcrops, rocky coasts, and mangroves. Forages in flocks, often giving raucous, tern-like calls in flight.
Identification
This bird resembles a plover, but has very long grey legs and a strong heavy black bill similar to a tern. Its black-and-white plumage and long-necked upright posture with heavy bill makes it distinctive and unmistakable. Its bill is unique among waders, and specialised for eating crabs. It has partially webbed toes. The plumage is white except for black on its back and in the primary feathers of the wings. They are noisy birds, calling frequently on their breeding sites and in their wintering grounds. The usual call is a ka similar to that of the bar-tailed godwit but repeated rapidly. Flocks may produce a whinnying sound that rises and at in the breeding season produce whistling kew-ki-ki notes.<p>Males and females are not easily distinguished but males have a heavier and longer bill. Juveniles have the black on the mantle, greyish and remain in this plumage for a year. Flocks fly in lines or "V" formations.<p>The crab-plover is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Dromas ardeola
- Authority
- Paykull, 1805
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Dromadidae
- Genus
- Dromas
Range and habitat
It is resident on the coasts and islands of the Indian Ocean, where it feeds on crabs and other small animals. They are gregarious and will feed in large groups, at night and during dawn and dusk as well as during the day; this crepuscular and nocturnal behaviour is more common during the breeding season. They breed around the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Somalia in the months of April to July then disperse across the Indian Ocean in August as far as the Andaman Islands and Sri Lanka in the east and Tanzania and Madagascar.
- Breeding range
- AF, IO : sandy coasts and islands of Red Sea, Arabian Pen. and Persian Gulf (nw Indian Ocean)
- Non-breeding range
- e AF, India : tropical to subtropical Indian Ocean coasts: sw Indian Ocean coast to Mozambique and KwaZulu Natal, Malagasy region including coralline atolls of s, c Seychelles, Chagos Arch., Maldives (wc Indian Ocean), w coast of India, Sri Lanka and Andaman Is.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Rufescent Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula chalconota
A fairly large pigeon of montane forest interior. Green rump, pale orange chest, deep rufous belly and black band in the tail. Forages for fruit, singly or in pairs in the upper or mid-canopy. Similar to Purple-tailed Imperial-Pigeon but Rufescent occurs at higher elevations and has more extensive gray on the sides of the neck. Papuan Mountain-Pigeon more likely to co-occur but Rufescent lacks the white chest and has green rather than grey back. Not very vocal. Call a mournful downslurred “wooo”.
Plain Pigeon
Patagioenas inornata
A large pale pigeon of woodlands and forest edges; often found perching high in trees. Its ruddy shoulders and unbanded tail readily separate it from the similar Ring-tailed Pigeon. When perched, note the whispy whitish leading edge to wing, seen as a bar on upperwing in flight, that is suggestive of White-winged Dove, but that species has brighter white wing markings and is smaller. Scaly-naped and White-crowned Pigeons are much darker. Call is a soft, deep “HOOO-hoo-hoooo” and variations thereof but never similar to “oooOOO-hooo” of Ring-tailed Pigeon.
Red-stained Woodpecker
Dryobates affinis
Small brown woodpecker of lowland rainforest. Upperparts olive brown with small red spots (“stains”) on the shoulder (but these may be hard to see). Males have a red crown and nape. Found in a variety of humid forest habitats, including mature rainforest, secondary rainforest, and forest edges. Distinguished from the similar Little Woodpecker by its larger size, plainer face, and small red wing spots, as well as by voice; also, female has yellowish nape (gray in female Little). Red-stained also occurs in more mature forest habitats than Little, like mature rainforest and tall secondary growth (Little prefers dense riverside vegetation and successional growth). Call a fast series of high raptor-like yelps: “keer, keer, keer, …”, individual notes clearer and more descending than those of Little Woodpecker.
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