The pratincoles or greywaders are a subfamily (Glareolinae) of
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s which together with the
courser
The coursers are a subfamily (Cursoriinae) of birds which together with the pratincoles make up the family Glareolidae. They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. Their most unusual feature for birds classed ...
s make up the family
Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Lari. It contains two distinct groups, the pratincoles and the coursers. The atypical Egyptian plover (''Pluvianus aegyptius''), traditionally placed in this family, is now known to be o ...
. They have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails.
Description
Their most unusual feature for birds classed as
wader
245px, A flock of Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots
Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, ...
s is that they typically hunt their
insect
Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...
prey on the wing like
swallows
The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The t ...
, although they can also feed on the ground. Their short bills are an adaptation to aerial feeding.
Their flight is fast and graceful like a swallow or a
tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae, subfamily Sterninae, that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated in eleven genera in a subgroup of the family Laridae, which also ...
, with many twists and turns to pursue their prey. They are most active at dawn and dusk, resting in the warmest part of the day.
Like the coursers, the pratincoles are found in warmer parts of the Old World, from southern
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
east through
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. Species breeding in temperate regions are long-distance
migrants
Migrant is a term that may refer to:
Human migration
*Human migration, including:
**Emigration, leaving one's resident country with the intent to settle elsewhere. 1988 Webster's Definition. One who migrates, esp. from 1 region to another in sear ...
.
Their two to four eggs are laid on the ground in a bare scrape.
The downy pratincole chicks are able to run as soon as they are hatched.
The
Australian pratincole, the only species not in the genus ''Glareola'', is more terrestrial than the other pratincoles, and may be intermediate between this group and the coursers.
The name "pratincole" comes from the term ''pratincola'' coined by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
naturalist
Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
Wilhelm Heinrich Kramer
Wilhelm Heinrich Kramer (1724 in Dresden – 13 October 1765) was a German physician and naturalist.
Kramer studied in Vienna, Austria, then practiced medicine in Bruck, close to the capital, for at least 14 years. He published in 1756 a work enti ...
from the
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
words ''prātum'' meadow and ''incola'' resident.
Species list
* Genus ''
Stiltia
The Australian pratincole (''Stiltia isabella'') is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae. It breeds in Australia's interior and winters in northern and eastern parts of the continent, Indonesia and New Guinea. It is a medium-sized nomadic ...
''
**
Australian pratincole ''Stiltia isabella''
* Genus ''
Glareola
''Glareola'' is a genus of birds in the family Glareolidae. The pratincoles are a group of birds consisting of the seven species of this genus and the Australian pratincole, the only species of the genus ''Stiltia''.
The genus ''Glareola'' was ...
''
**
Collared pratincole
The collared pratincole (''Glareola pratincola''), also known as the common pratincole or red-winged pratincole, is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae. As with other pratincoles, it is native to the Old World.
Taxonomy
The collared p ...
''Glareola pratincola''
**
Oriental pratincole ''Glareola maldivarum''
**
Black-winged pratincole
The black-winged pratincole (''Glareola nordmanni'') is a wader in the pratincole bird family, Glareolidae. The genus name is a diminutive of Latin ''glarea'', "gravel", referring to a typical nesting habitat for pratincoles. The species name ...
''Glareola nordmanni''
**
Madagascar pratincole
The Madagascar pratincole (''Glareola ocularis'') is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae.
It is found in Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, possibly Mauritius, and possibly Réunion.
Its natural habitats ...
''Glareola ocularis''
**
Rock pratincole
The rock pratincole (''Glareola nuchalis'') is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae.
Distribution and habitat
There are two subspecies of rock pratincole:
*''G. n. liberiae'' ( Schlegel, 1881), – ''rufous-collared pratincole'' – fro ...
''Glareola nuchalis''
**
Grey pratincole ''Glareola cinerea''
**
Small pratincole ''Glareola lactea''
References
* ''Shorebirds'' by Hayman, Marchant and Prater
Birds Korea - conserving birds and habitats in South Korea and the Yellow Sea eco-region
{{Taxonbar, from=Q852876
Glareolidae