Glareola nordmanni
The Black-winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanni) is a striking medium-sized wader, measuring 24-28 cm in length with a wingspan of 60-65 cm and weighing 80-100 grams. Its most distinctive field mark, and the origin of its common name, is the entirely black underwing coverts, visible only in flight, contrasting sharply with its white belly and breast. Adults exhibit a brown upper body, white underparts, and a chestnut patch on the throat bordered by a fine black line, which fades or disappears...
This species primarily inhabits dry, open grasslands, steppes, and semi-deserts, often near temporary or permanent freshwater wetlands and saline lakes. It prefers flat, sparsely vegetated areas at low elevations for both breeding and foraging.
Their diet consists almost exclusively of large flying insects, including beetles, locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, and moths, caught primarily on the wing through agile aerial pursuits.
Black-winged Pratincoles are highly gregarious birds, often forming large flocks during migration and in wintering grounds, sometimes numbering in the thousands. They are diurnal, with peak foraging activity often occurring during dawn and dusk. Their foraging strategy is unique among waders, pri...
The Black-winged Pratincole breeds primarily across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with its core breeding range extending from Ukraine and Southern Russia eastward through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and into parts of Siberia. Historically, its western breeding range extended further ...
Near Threatened
- The Black-winged Pratincole holds the distinction of being the only pratincole species with entirely black underwing coverts, a crucial identification feature in flight. - Despite being classified as a 'wader,' it spends a significant amount of its foraging time flying and catching insects mid-...