Stone-curlew

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Stone-curlews
Bush Stone-curlew, Burhinus grallarius
Bush Stone-curlew, Burhinus grallarius
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Burhinidae
Mathews, 1912
Genera

The Stone-curlews or Thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia.

They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow black bills, large yellow eyes—which give them a reptilian appearance—and cryptic plumage. The names Thick-knee and Stone-curlew are both in common use, the preference among authorities for one term or the other varying from year to year. The term Stone-curlew owes its origin to the broad similarities with true curlews (which are not closely related). Thick-knee refers to the prominent joints in the long yellow or greenish legs and apparently originated with a name coined in 1776 for B. oedicnemus, the Thick-kneed Bustard.

Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats. They are largely nocturnal, particularly when singing their loud wailing songs, which are reminiscent of true curlews.

The diet consists mainly of insects and other invertebrates. Larger species will also take lizards and even small mammals.

Most species are sedentary, but the Stone Curlew is a summer migrant in the temperate European part of its range, wintering in Africa.

[edit] Species

The nine species are:

Picture Name Binomial name
Eurasian Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus
No pic Senegal Thick-knee Burhinus senegalensis
No pic Water Dikkop Burhinus vermiculatus
Spotted Dikkop Burhinus capensis
Double-striped Thick-knee Burhinus bistriatus
No pic Peruvian Thick-knee Burhinus superciliaris
Bush Stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius (formerly B. magnirostris, the Bush Thick-knee).
Great Thick-knee Esacus recurvirostris
No pic Beach Stone-curlew Esacus giganteus (formerly E. magnirostris, the Beach Thick-knee).

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