Glareola pratincola (Collared pratincole)
Written by Wednesday, 10 June 2009 00:00
"Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.” Lyman Frank Baum
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Glareola pratincola (family: Glareolidae; common name: 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 bird of open country, and is often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects. It is found in the warmer parts of Europe, southwest Asia and Africa. Its 2–4 eggs are laid on the ground. It is migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, and is rare north of the breeding range. It is 24–28 cm long with a 60–70 cm 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 (1). The fact that the birds nest on the ground causes some issues; this year, a number of nests were destroyed due to the seasonal waterfalls. The birds are quite sociable (though not with people); however, if an intruder appears, they tend to attack itthem as a group. The birds shown were found in Strophylia nature reserve. Photos by Mahi Goula and George Parchas Shooting Data: 1. Camera: Nikon D80 2. Camera: Nikon D80 3. Camera: Nikon D80 4. Camera: Nikon D80 5. Camera: Nikon D80 6. Camera: Nikon D80 7. Camera: Nikon D80
(1) Wikipedia |
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Glareola pratincola – Juvenile A few months after the pictures of the eggs presented above were taken we went together with Mahi and George to the location where the pratincoles nested. The swamp was totally dry, very few birds were still in the area. While we were driving over the dried land we noticed a juvenile pratincole, on its own, amongst the reeds. The bird, at this age, was able to fly only short distances. We approached it very carefully and we managed to get quite close to it. As long as we stayed in the car the bird would only make noises but was not worried much. We managed to get about 150 excellent shots of it before we moved on, two of which we included here to complete the life cycle of this species. The photos were taken with the lens supported on the window opening of the car. Photos by Marina Parha and George J. Reclos Shooting Data: 1. Camera: Nikon D3x 2. Camera: Nikon D3x |
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