Wildlifeof Thailand
Small Pratincole
Glareolidae
Photo: (c) sunnyjosef, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Glareola lactea
Basic stats
Habitat
Open country, gravel or sand banks near rivers and lakes
Range
India, western Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand
Clutch size
2–4 eggs
Size
16.5–18.5cm
Wingspan
42–48cm
The small pratincole is a resident breeder in India, western Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It is only 16.5 to 18.5 cm long with a wingspan of 42 to 48 cm, and in flight can be briefly confused with a swift or swallow. It has short legs, long pointed wings, a short tail and a short bill suited to aerial feeding. On the ground it looks mainly pale grey, with a brown crown (Wikipedia, general species account).
It breeds from December to March on gravel or sand banks near rivers and lakes, laying two to four eggs in a ground scrape. Although classed as a wader, it typically hunts insects on the wing like a swallow, often near water in the evening (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Small Pratincole live in?
- Open country, gravel or sand banks near rivers and lakes
- Where is the Small Pratincole found?
- India, western Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand
- How many eggs does the Small Pratincole lay?
- 2–4 eggs
- How big is the Small Pratincole?
- 16.5–18.5cm
- What is the wingspan of the Small Pratincole?
- 42–48cm