Stone-curlews are birds that form 10 species in 3 different genera:Hesperoburhinus,Burhinus andEsacus. The 3 genera are part of thefamily Burhindiae, which was introduced into avian taxonomy in 1912 by the Australian ornithologistGregory Mathews.Curlews and stone-curlews belong to different avian families.
Still keeping to the low-lying counties, but repairing to the heaths and commons on the wolds, we may have the good fortune to meet with the singular and interesting Stone-Curlew, Norfolk Plover, or Thicknee, as it is severally known. It is not related very closely to the Curlew, being in fact intermediate between the Bustards and the Plovers, probably most closely related to the latter group of birds. It is a summer migrant to this country, and in spite of the drainage, which has greatly curtailed its haunts, still continues to be fairly well distributed in suitable districts. It returns year after year to its favorite haunts, arriving here in April and leaving in October. Wide extensive heaths and rough open country, which is often turned into rabbit warrens, are the places the Stone-Curlew loves. He is a birds of the dry sandy soils, and rarely if ever wanders to the lower and more marshy ground. Nor does he frequent the wooded country, although his favourite heath may be surrounded with trees and fields with tall hedges. The ground cannot be too rough or broken for the Stone-Curlew—heath and furze and briars, coarse grass and stunted bushes, intermixed with bare pebbly ground; these are the characteristics of its summer haunt.
Charles Dixon"The Stone-Curlew". Our Rarer Birds: Being Studies in Ornithology & Oology. London: Richard Bentley & Son. 1888. pp. 182–184.
Stone curlews appear to use their loud and far-carrying cries to achievedispersion. Their presence in places where they are scarce or little known has sometimes been revealed when they have replied unexpectedly to recordings of their calls. The group evidently plays an important, but not clearly known, part in the spacing between nests. Social behaviour continues during incubation, with the non-sitting partners, unmated birds, and those that have lost their eggs, periodically meeting on afternoons, evenings, and at night; thus possibly enabling members of the community to know what is happening and, if necessary, to supply mates to birds that have lost their partners. These noisy meetings often take place well away from the nesting grounds and thus do not assistpredators to find nests.
Bush thick-knees (or bush stone-curlew, southern stone-curlew, weeloo and willaroo) are long-legged bush-dwelling waders that stand about 50 cm high. They are more often heard than seen. A distinguishing feature is the large yellow eye with a broad white eyebrow and a thick brown-grey stripe running from the eye and down the neck. Their voice is an eerie whistling call which begins with a drawn-out 'wee-seer' that is repeated a number of times and ends with a high-pitched and drawn-out 'keeleeoo'. They favor open woodland, dry watercourses, coastal scrub, suburbs and towns in Queensland and can be tame near habitation, golf course and resort islands.
The best-known English stone curlew haunt at the present time is surelyWeeting Heath in theNorfolkBreckland, now aNational Nature Reserve (Clarke 1937, Mason & McClellan 1994, Taylor et al. 1999: 78-79), where the birds can conveniently be watched from theNorfolk Wildlife Trust'shides. Some 5-7 pairs have nested on the 137-hectare (338-acre) stonyheath at least since 1970 (Westwood 1983).
Stone-Curlew.— On the twenty-seventh of February, 1788, stone-curlews were heard to pipe; and on March first, after it was dark, some were passing over thevillage, as might be perceived by their quick short note, which they use in their nocturnal excursions by way ofwatch-word, that they may not stray and lose their companions. Thus we see, that retire whithersoever they may in thewinter, they return again early in thespring, and are, as it now appears, the firstsummer birds that come back. Perhaps the mildness of the season may have quickened the emigration of the curlews this year. They spend the day in high elevated fields andsheep-walks; but seem to descend in the night to streams and meadows, perhaps for water, which their upland haunts do not afford them.
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