Birdsong field guide
Oriental Pratincole
Glareola maldivarum
A slender, swallow-like shorebird known for its exceptional aerial agility and deeply forked tail. It is a highly migratory species that often gathers in large, gregarious communal flocks.
What it sounds like
Sharp, nasal, tern-like 'chik-chik' or 'kyik' notes, often delivered rapidly in flight.
Field notes
- Despite being classified as a wader, it primarily hunts insects in mid-air like a giant swallow.
- The species possesses diagnostic chestnut-colored underwing coverts that are visible during flight.
- Breeding adults display a prominent black 'necklace' that borders a pale, creamy-buff throat patch.
- One satellite-tracked individual performed a record-breaking non-stop migration of over 6,300 kilometers from Australia to Southeast Asia.
- The bill features a very deep gape, an evolutionary adaptation for capturing large insects while flying at high speeds.
Habitat
Open areas including floodplains, marshes, sun-baked mudflats, and recently burned grasslands.
Range
Breeds across East and South Asia; migrates to Northern Australia and parts of the Indo-Pacific for the winter.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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