''Glareola'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
s in the family
Glareolidae
Glareolidae is a family of birds in the wader suborder Charadrii. 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 ...
. The
pratincole
The pratincoles or greywaders are a group of birds which together with the coursers make up the family Glareolidae. They have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails.
Description
Their most unusual feature for birds classed as ...
s are a group of birds consisting of the seven species of this genus and the
Australian pratincole
The Australian pratincole (''Stiltia isabella'') is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae. It breeds in Australia's interior; it winters to northern and eastern parts of the continent, Indonesia and New Guinea.
It is a medium-sized nomadic ...
, the only species of the genus ''
Stiltia
The Australian pratincole (''Stiltia isabella'') is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae. It breeds in Australia's interior; it winters to northern and eastern parts of the continent, Indonesia and New Guinea.
It is a medium-sized nomadic ...
''.
The
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''Glareola'' was introduced by the French zoologist
Mathurin Jacques Brisson
Mathurin Jacques Brisson (; 30 April 1723 – 23 June 1806) was a French zoologist and natural philosopher.
Brisson was born at Fontenay-le-Comte. The earlier part of his life was spent in the pursuit of natural history; his published works ...
in 1760 with the
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 pr ...
(''Glareola pratincola'') as the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
.
The genus name is a diminutive of
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
''glarea'', "gravel", referring to a typical nesting habitat.
Species list
The genus contains seven species:
*
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 pr ...
(''Glareola pratincola'')
*
Oriental pratincole
The oriental pratincole (''Glareola maldivarum''), also known as the grasshopper-bird or swallow-plover, is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.
Etymology
The genus name is a diminutive of Latin ''glarea'', "gravel", referring to a ty ...
(''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 nam ...
(''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'' – fr ...
(''Glareola nuchalis'')
*
Grey pratincole
The grey pratincole (''Glareola cinerea'') is a species of bird, in the family Glareolidae.
Habitat
It is found on the continent of Africa, in the countries of Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, De ...
(''Glareola cinerea'')
*
Small pratincole
The small pratincole, little pratincole, or small Indian pratincole (''Glareola lactea''), is a small wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.
Distribution
The small pratincole is a resident breeder in India, Western Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bur ...
(''Glareola lactea'')
References
Bird genera
Taxa named by Mathurin Jacques Brisson
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