Black-winged Pratincole
Encyclopedia
The Black-winged Pratincole, Glareola nordmanni, is a wader
in the pratincole
bird family, Glareolidae.
Their most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect
prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.
Black-winged Pratincole is a bird of open country, and is often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects. This pratincole is found in warmer parts of south east Europe
and south west Asia
. Its 2-4 eggs are laid on the ground. It is migratory
, wintering in tropical Africa, and is rare north or west of the breeding range.
Black-winged Pratincole is 24–28 cm long, with short legs, long pointed wings and a long forked tail. It has a short bill, which is an adaptation to aerial feeding. The back and head are brown, and the wings are brown with black flight feathers. The belly is white and the underwings are black.
Very good views are needed to distinguish this species from other pratincoles, such as the Collared Pratincole
and the Oriental Pratincole
which may occur in its range. It is marginally larger than the Collared Pratincole, and is shorter-tailed and longer legged.
Although the dark underwing and lack of a white trailing edge to the wing are diagnostic, these features are not always readily seen in the field, especially as the chestnut underwing of the Collared Pratincole appears black unless excellent views are obtained.
The scientific name of this bird commemorates the Finnish-born zoologist Alexander von Nordmann
.
The Black-winged Pratincole is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA
) applies.
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
in the pratincole
Pratincole
The Pratincoles or Greywaders are a group of birds which together with the coursers and Egyptian Plover make up the family Glareolidae. They have short legs, very long pointed wings and long forked tails....
bird family, Glareolidae.
Their most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.
Black-winged Pratincole is a bird of open country, and is often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects. This pratincole is found in warmer parts of south east Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and south west Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Its 2-4 eggs are laid on the ground. It is migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, wintering in tropical Africa, and is rare north or west of the breeding range.
Black-winged Pratincole is 24–28 cm long, with short legs, long pointed wings and a long forked tail. It has a short bill, which is an adaptation to aerial feeding. The back and head are brown, and the wings are brown with black flight feathers. The belly is white and the underwings are black.
Very good views are needed to distinguish this species from other pratincoles, such as the Collared Pratincole
Collared Pratincole
The Collared Pratincole or Common Pratincole, Glareola pratincola, is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.Pratincoles are unusual among waders in that they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.The Collared Pratincole is a...
and the Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole
The Oriental Pratincole , also known as the Grasshopper-Bird or Swallow-Plover is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae....
which may occur in its range. It is marginally larger than the Collared Pratincole, and is shorter-tailed and longer legged.
Although the dark underwing and lack of a white trailing edge to the wing are diagnostic, these features are not always readily seen in the field, especially as the chestnut underwing of the Collared Pratincole appears black unless excellent views are obtained.
The scientific name of this bird commemorates the Finnish-born zoologist Alexander von Nordmann
Alexander von Nordmann
Alexander Davidovič von Nordmann was a Finnish biologist.-Biography:Alexander von Nordmann was born in Ruotensalmi on May 24, 1803. Nordmann was a professor at Odessa, and collected natural history specimens in southern Russia. He became professor of Zoology at the university of Helsinki in 1849...
.
The Black-winged Pratincole is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA
AEWA
The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds is the largest of its kind developed so far under the Bonn Convention. It was concluded on 16 June 1995 at The Hague, the Netherlands and entered into force on 1 November 1999 after the required number of at least fourteen...
) applies.