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Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) — photo 1 of 7
© Thibaud Aronson cc-by-sa

Pratincoles · Shorebirds

Collared Pratincole

Glareola pratincola

How to recognize it

  • 22–25 cm, smaller than a pigeon

  • Long pointed wings, slightly forked tail

  • Brown back and head, white belly

  • Swallow-like flight; quick head and body movements

About the species

The collared pratincole moves with quick, swerving steps and a loose, swallow-like flight. It often flicks its head and neck, and the rear of the body bobs as it runs or turns.

It hunts insects on the wing, especially in the cooler hours of morning and evening. Near dusk it takes more moths, and it may also feed on the ground. Its call is not described in the sources.

Look for it in open country near water, from dry marshes to sparsely covered steppe. It breeds in colonies and makes a shallow scrape on the ground, changing nest sites from year to year, and it leaves for warmer regions in winter.

Where to find

  • On open vacant lots and dry grassy strips near water — at dusk, when the Collared Pratincole is hawking insects in quick, swallow-like flight.

  • Along canal banks, pond edges, and drained wet patches with sparse grass — especially where a shallow scrape is visible on bare ground.

  • On steppe-like fringes of the city or by livestock enclosures beyond the last buildings — in the cool morning hours, when it feeds low over the grass.

  • By small water bodies with almost bare shorelines — look for sudden darts and the distinctive bobbing of the rear body.

Sources