Waterbird Wednesday week 17: pratincoles
Pratincoles are birds of the genus Glareola, an odd group of species in the wader family. Unlike many other waders, they have relatively short legs and bill. However, they are rather elegant birds in flight, with extremely long, pointed wings and a long forked tail. Only three species have been recorded in the UK, with 95 records of Collared Pratincole (G. pratincola), 39 of Black-winged Pratincole (G. nordmanni) and 7 of Oriental Pratincole (G. maldivarum).
Collared Pratincole
Within the Western Palearctic, Collared Pratincole breeds around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, wintering in N Africa. Has a pale brown back, noticeably paler than Black-winged, with a dark breast, white belly and it's light 'bib', ringed with black in some plumages. The bill is mainly dark. Best told from Black-winged pratincole in flight, when it shows much darker wings with a white trailing edge to the secondaries. Collared tends to have a longer tail than Black-winged, extending past the wingtip when at rest. Underwing is reddish-brown, however this may not be visible in certain lighting conditions.
Adult summer
Adult has a very clean plumage, with the bib neatly edged black. The bill clearly shows a red base.
Adult winter
In winter plumage, the light bib is still present but lacks the clear black edging. The back has a slightly scaly appearance and the breast doesn't have such a clean appearance as in adult. The bill is mainly dark with a very slight reddish base
Juvenile
Juvenile birds have a strong scaly pattern to the upperparts, and the breast is dotted dark rather than fully dark. The pale bib has no dark edging, and the bill is fully dark.
Black-winged Pratincole
Black-winged Pratincole is a more eastern bird, breeding to the north and east of the Black Sea and wintering in S Africa. This means it is less common in the UK. compared to Collared Pratincole, it is shorter tailed, the tail not extending past the wing-tip at rest, with a darker back. In flight doesn't show a white trailing edge, and the underwing is black.
Adult summer
As is adult summer Collared, with a clean looking back and breast and black edging to the pale bib. Bill shows less red at the base, and the lores are clearly darker than Collared.
Adult winter
Similar to adult winter Collared, with a darker back and a dark bill.
Juvenile
Almost identical to juvenile Collared other than in flight.
Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole is almost a mix of Black-winged and collared, with a reddish-brown underwing as in Collared, but a dark trailing edge to the secondaries as in Black-winged. One possible confusion would be a Collared pratincole with very worn secondaries, no longer showing the white trailing edge. However, Oriental Pratincole is much shorter-tailed than Collared, the tail falling behind the wingtip at rest.
