Collared Pratincole

Glareola pratincola

Other Pics: Immature Collared Pratincole

Other Names

  Pratincole, Common Pratincole, Red-winged Pratincole, Swallow-plover   Glaréole à collier   Rotflügel-Brachschwalbe   Canastera Común   Rödvingad vadarsvala   Vorkstaartplevier   Pernice di mare

World: From southern Europe South to North Africa and East to Pakistan and western Arabia. In sub-saharan Africa widely distributed south of 17°N.

Kenya: Found along lakes and Rivers across Kenya, mainly below 1800m.

Insectivorous bird usually seen on flat open areas, not uncommon where it does occur. We've seen it several times around swamp edges at Amboseli where the birds above were photographed. In Kenya breeds during the long rains. Very similar in appearance to the Black-winged Pratincole, but has more red in the beak. The black-winged is more easily distinguished in flight by the entirely black underside of the wing. It also helps that the Black-winged is a rare visitor to Kenya, recorded on only 5 occasions.