Glareola pratincola - Collared Pratincole
Feather characters. Barbules are rather short (0.86-0.97 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and partly pigmented (less than 50%) internodes. Vase-shaped nodes are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules (20-23 per mm). They are all about the same size, slightly decreasing towards distal end. Villi are absent and internodes are occasionally kinked. Prongs are absent. Occasionally some minute prongs may be found on distal end of barbules.
Field characters. Size 25 cm. Weight 80 g (68-90) (Dunning, 1993). Not a typical wader; elongating effect of wings yield a silhouette, both in flight and on ground, reminiscent of small, short-billed, long-legged tern. Upperparts uniform olive-brown; throat warm buff, sharply outlined with black; chest light buff, grading to white on lower chest. Underparts and rump white. Tips of elongated primaries and deeply forked tail black. In flight, uniform dark mantle, wings and tail contrast strongly with white rump and flanks. Outside breeding-season plumage similar to breeding plumage but uniform appearance lost, due to tawny feather margins on head, neck, throat and chest. Legs deep brown, bill black with bright red gape. Flight swift and free, recalling terns. Seldom wading, not even in shallow water. For separation from very similar Black-winged Pratincole see that species.
Voice. A very noisy bird, which utters tern-like sounds; usual call a chattering, sharp "kikki-cerrik".
Distribution. Locally and rare; a vagrant outside its breeding range. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. Frequents open sun-baked mudflats near water; colonial breeder.
Food. Forages in flocks, mostly during morning and evening, on insects which are caught in flight.