Black-winged Pratincole

The Black-winged Pratincole, Glareola nordmanni, is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.

Their most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.

These are birds of open country, and are often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects. These pratincoles are found in warmer parts of south east Europe and south west Asia. Their 2-4 eggs are laid on the ground. They are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa. They are rare north or west of the breeding range.

These birds have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails. They have short bills, which is an adaptation to aerial feeding. The back and head are brown, and the wings are brown with black flight feathers. The belly is white. The underwings are black.

Very good views are needed to distinguish this species from other pratincoles, such as Collared Pratincole and Oriental Pratincole which may occur in its range. It is marginally larger than Common, and is shorter-tailed and longer legs.

Although the dark underwing and lack of a white trailing edge to the wing are diagnostic, these features are not always readily seen in the field, especially as the chestnut underwing of Collared Pratincole appears black unless excellent views are obtained.