The small pratincole, little pratincole, or small Indian pratincole (''Glareola lactea''), is a small
wader
245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">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 mudflat ...
in 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 a ...
family, Glareolidae.
Distribution
The small pratincole is a resident breeder in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, Western
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, Bangladesh, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It breeds from December to March on gravel or sand banks near rivers and lakes, laying 2-4
eggs
Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...
in a ground scrape. Breeding areas include small areas in northern Karnataka (manvi district raichur.(and along the
Hemavathi River) and northern Kerala near
Kannur
Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and a municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the major port city and commercial hu ...
.
This species is only 16.5-18.5 cm in length, with a 42–48 cm wingspan. Because of its small size, the small pratincole can be briefly confused in flight with
swift
Swift or SWIFT most commonly refers to:
* SWIFT, an international organization facilitating transactions between banks
** SWIFT code
* Swift (programming language)
* Swift (bird), a family of birds
It may also refer to:
Organizations
* SWIFT, ...
s or
swallows.
Description
This
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 lightweig ...
has short legs, long pointed wings and a short tail. Its short
bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
is an adaptation to aerial feeding. On the ground, it looks mainly pale grey (hence ''lactea'', milky). The crown of the head is brown.
The wings are grey above with black primaries and black and white bars at the rear edge of the inner
flight feathers. The underwings are mainly black. The tail is white with a black terminal triangle. The belly is white.
Ecology
The most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as
wader
245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">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 mudflat ...
s they typically hunt their
insect
Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three ...
prey on the wing like
swallow
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 ...
s, although they can also feed on the ground.
The small pratincole is a species of open country, and is often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects.
Small Pratincole - Nest.JPG, Small Pratincole - Nest
Small Pratincole - Chick.JPG, Small pratincole - chick
SL Bundala NP asv2020-01 img17.jpg, In the Bundala National Park
Bundala National Park is an internationally important wintering ground for migratory water birds in Sri Lanka. Bundala harbors 197 species of birds, the highlight being the greater flamingo, which migrate in large flocks. Bundala was designated ...
, Sri Lanka
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q934460
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 ...
Birds of South Asia
Birds of Southeast Asia
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 ...
Taxa named by Coenraad Jacob Temminck