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.
识别特征
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.
分类信息
- 学名
- Dromas ardeola
- 命名信息
- Paykull, 1805
- 目
- Charadriiformes
- 科
- Dromadidae
- 属
- Dromas
分布与栖息地
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.
- 繁殖区
- AF, IO : sandy coasts and islands of Red Sea, Arabian Pen. and Persian Gulf (nw Indian Ocean)
- 非繁殖区
- 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.
- 迁徙
- Complete migrants
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Puna Ground-Tyrant
Muscisaxicola juninensis
Fairly common, rather drab, small terrestrial flycatcher of puna habitats in the high Andes, especially bogs and lakeshores with rocky surroundings and bunchgrasses. Virtual absence of field marks is a field mark: plumage lacks strong contrast or color, but hindcrown has dull rusty blush, visible with good views, and face has very weak paler eyebrow. Much smaller than White-fronted Ground-Tyrant, which is often found in same areas.
New Zealand Scaup
Aythya novaeseelandiae
New Zealand endemic diving duck. Widely but patchily distributed throughout North and South Islands; not found on Stewart Island, and no longer present on Chatham Islands. Unlike any other resident duck species. Compact and dark; floats on water with cork-like buoyancy, showing bath-toy duck silhouette. Forms large flocks, often congregating in sheltered areas near willows or reed beds. Spends a lot of time underwater, where it can travel considerable distances. Sexes alike but distinguishable. Male has dark black plumage, iridescent blue-green head and wings, and yellow iris. Female is duller brown with brown iris. Flies with very fast wingbeats, often just above the water’s surface. Vagrant Hardhead differs in its white iris, white undertail, and white “saddle” on bill.
Crozet Shag
Leucocarbo melanogenis
An attractive Southern Ocean crested and pied cormorant with white wingbars, pinkish feet, orange-buff warty caruncles on the forehead, and a blue eye-ring. Juvenile is duller, lacking facial ornaments. Restricted to a handful of subantarctic islands, where it forages in inshore waters; uncommon resident on Prince Edward, Marion and Crozet islands, where it is the only cormorant. Call is a grunting wheeze.
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