| Collared pratincole | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Adult | |
_juvenile_Hasarlic.jpg) | |
| Juvenile | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Glareolidae |
| Genus: | Glareola |
| Species: | G. pratincola |
| Binomial name | |
| Glareola pratincola (Linnaeus, 1766) | |
 | |
| Range ofG. pratincola Breeding Resident Non-breeding Vagrant (seasonality uncertain) | |
| Synonyms | |
Hirundo pratincolaLinnaeus, 1766 | |
Thecollared pratincole (Glareola pratincola), also known as thecommon pratincole orred-winged pratincole, is awader in thepratincole family, Glareolidae. As with other pratincoles, it is native to theOld World.[2]
The collared pratincole wasformally described by the Swedish naturalistCarl Linnaeus in 1766 in thetwelfth edition of hisSystema Naturae. He placed it with the swallows and swifts in the genusHirundo and coined thebinomial nameHirundo pratincola.[3] The collared pratincole is now placed in the genusGlareola that was introduced by the French zoologistMathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.[4][5] The genus name is a diminutive ofLatinglarea, "gravel", referring to a typical nesting habitat for pratincoles. The species namepratincola means an inhabitant of meadows, fromLatinpratum, prati, "meadow" andincola, "inhabitant", fromincolere, "to inhabit".[6]
Twosubspecies are recognised:[5]
This pratincole is 24–28 cm (9.4–11.0 in) long with a 60–70 cm (24–28 in) wingspan. It has short legs, long pointed wings, a long forked tail, and a short bill, which is an adaptation to aerial feeding. The back and head are brown, and the wings are brown with darker flight feathers. The belly is white. The underwings are chestnut, but look dark below.
Very good views are needed to distinguish this species from other pratincoles, such as theblack-winged pratincole and theoriental pratincole, which may occur in its range. The latter species also has a chestnut underwing, but is shorter-tailed.
The collared pratincole is a bird of open country, and is often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects. It is found in the warmer parts ofEurope, southwestAsia andAfrica. It ismigratory, wintering in tropical Africa, and is rare north of the breeding range. It has been recorded as a vagrant inBrazil andBarbados.[1]
Pratincoles are unusual amongwaders in that they typically hunt theirinsect prey on the wing likeswallows, although they can also feed on the ground.
The nesting is colonial. The nest is a shallow scrape on open ground often near water. The clutch is 2–4 eggs which have a cream background with black or dark brown blotches, spots or streaks. On average the eggs measure 32 mm × 24 mm (1.26 in × 0.94 in) and weigh 10 g (0.35 oz). Beginning after the last egg is laid, they are incubated by both parents and hatch synchronously after 17-19 days. The young areprecocial andnidifugous. They leave the nest after 2–3 days and are then cared for by both parents who feed them with regurgitated food for the first week. The young fledge when they are 25–30 days of age.[7]
The collared pratincole is one of the species to which theAgreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
