The water thick-knee or water dikkop (''Burhinus vermiculatus'') is a species of
bird in the thick-knee family
Burhinidae
The stone-curlews, also known as dikkops or thick-knees, consist of 10 species within the family Burhinidae, and are found throughout the tropical and temperate parts of the world, with two or more species occurring in some areas of Africa, Asia, ...
. The species is found across sub-Saharan Africa, usually close to water.
Distribution and habitat
The water thick-knee has a widespread distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, being found in
Angola,
Botswana,
Burkina Faso,
Burundi
Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...
,
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...
,
Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Eswatini
Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...
,
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
,
Ethiopia,
Gabon,
Ghana,
Kenya,
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
,
Malawi,
Mozambique,
Namibia,
Niger,
Nigeria,
Rwanda
Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
,
Senegal,
Somalia,
South Africa,
Tanzania,
Uganda,
Zambia, and
Zimbabwe.
Across its range it is found on the edges of lakes, estuaries and rivers, as well as
mangroves and also some sheltered beaches. It also needs bushes or nearby woodlands for shelter. It is found from sea-level to .
Description
left, A captive bird stretching its wings
The water thick-knee is and weighs . It has a heavy bill that is black with yellow at the base. The wings are broad and blunt and the tail is short.
Behaviour
The water thick-knee is a terrestrial feeder that forages at night. Although it is typically associated with water it can be found foraging up to from water. It feeds on insects, crustaceans and mollusks.
The water thick-knee generally breeds in the dry season or early rainy season. It is a monogamous breeder with both parents guarding the nest and brooding the eggs. The nest is a simple scrape in sandy or stony ground, usually close to water. The clutch size is two sandy-yellow eggs. Both sexes incubate the eggs for 22-25 days, and both are responsible for feeding the young. Unique among birds, thick-knee pairs frequently nest adjacent to and sometimes directly on top of
Nile crocodile nests. The two species share a form of
symbiotic mutualism with the more energetic and vocal thick-knee functioning as loud sentries for the nests as the more powerful crocodile provides protection. Should a nest raider approach, the thick-knee pair will spread their wings in a threat display and harass and peck at the intruders to drive it off. If the pair not be successful, the mother crocodile will be drawn in by their continued calls and arrive.
References
External links
* Water dikkop/Water thick-knee
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
{{Taxonbar, from=Q263426
water thick-knee
The water thick-knee or water dikkop (''Burhinus vermiculatus'') is a species of bird in the thick-knee family Burhinidae. The species is found across sub-Saharan Africa, usually close to water.
Distribution and habitat
The water thick-knee has ...
Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa
water thick-knee
The water thick-knee or water dikkop (''Burhinus vermiculatus'') is a species of bird in the thick-knee family Burhinidae. The species is found across sub-Saharan Africa, usually close to water.
Distribution and habitat
The water thick-knee has ...
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Taxa named by Jean Cabanis
