The collared pratincole (Glareola pratincola), also known as the common pratincole or red-winged pratincole, is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae. As with other pratincoles, it is native to the Old World.
The collared pratincole was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1766 in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the swallows and swifts in the genus Hirundo and coined the binomial name Hirundo pratincola. The collared pratincole is now placed in the genus Glareola that was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The genus name is a diminutive of Latin glarea, "gravel", referring to a typical nesting habitat for pratincoles. The species name pratincola means an inhabitant of meadows, from Latin pratum, prati, "meadow" and incola, "inhabitant", from incolere, "to inhabit".
Two subspecies are recognised:
Glareola pratincola pratincola, (Linnaeus, 1766) – southern Europe & North Africa to south Pakistan
Glareola pratincola fuelleborni, Neumann, 1910 – sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to central Ethiopia and south Somalia south to east South Africa (includes erlangeri and riparia)
Description
This pratincole is 24–28 cm (9.4–11.0 in) long with a 60–70 cm (24–28 in) 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.
Very good views are needed to distinguish this species from other pratincoles, such as the black-winged pratincole and the oriental pratincole, which may occur in its range. The latter species also has a chestnut underwing, but is shorter-tailed.
he 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. It is migratory, wintering in tropical Africa, and is rare north of the breeding range. It has been recorded as a vagrant in Brazil and Barbados.
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 nesting is colonial. The nest is a shallow scrape on open ground often near water. The clutch is 2–4 eggs which have a cream background with black or dark brown blotches, spots or streaks. On average the eggs measure 32 mm × 24 mm (1.26 in × 0.94 in) and weigh 10 g (0.35 oz). Beginning after the last egg is laid, they are incubated by both parents and hatch synchronously after 17-19 days. The young are precocial and nidifugous. They leave the nest after 2–3 days and are then cared for by both parents who feed them with regurgitated food for the first week. The young fledge when they are 25–30 days of age.
The collared pratincole (Glareola pratincola) is a unique, medium-sized migratory wader (24–28 cm long, 60–70 cm wingspan) that acts like a swallow, hunting insects in agile aerial acrobatics over wetlands and marshes. Recognizable by a forked tail, long pointed wings, and a black-bordered buff throat, they breed in warm, sparse-vegetation areas of southern Europe and Asia before wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.
Hunting Behavior: Unlike most waders that feed in mud, this species feeds on insects in the air, similar to terns or swallows.
Appearance: They have a sandy-brown back, a white belly, and distinctive chestnut-coloured underwings. They also have short legs and a short, red-based bill.
Breeding & Nesting: Breeding occurs from April to June in colonies, usually near water, on bare ground, salt pans, or in agricultural fields. They make a simple scrape in the ground, laying 2–4 eggs.
Habitat: They prefer warm climates and low-altitude areas with wetlands, salt pans, marshes, or newly burned land.
Migration: They are strict migrants, wintering in tropical Africa, though some populations exist in parts of Africa year-round.
Vocalization: They make shrill, staccato, and trilled calls while in flight, often described as a "stwick".
Conservation Status: While not threatened globally, they are considered rare or near-threatened in specific regions like South Africa due to habitat loss and disturbance.
