Australian Pratincole
Glareola isabella
The Australian pratincole is a medium-sized slender shorebird with long legs, long pointed wings and a short decurved bill. It is 19–24 cm (7.5–9.4 in) long, has a wingspan of 50–60 cm (20–24 in) and weighs 55–75 g (1.9–2.6 oz). The sexes look alike but their breeding and non-breeding plumage differs. In their breeding plumage, the head, neck, breast and upperparts are a sandy brown grading. The wings are pointed and black and there is a black loral strip. The chin and throat are white and the breast is a sandy brown. The bill is bright red with a black base and the iris is dark brown. Voice: The Australian pratincole is known to call during summer thunderstorms. The calls are sweet or plaintive whistles, or very soft and muted trills and loud sharp notes. No difference in calls between males and females has been identified. Four different types of calls have been clearly identified: Flight call — sweet whistling upslurred weeteet or quirriepeet.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Oriental Pratincole
Glareola maldivarum
The Oriental pratincole has short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails. It has a short bill, 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 and the underwings are chestnut. Very good views are needed to distinguish the species from other pratincoles, particularly the very similar collared pratincole, which also has a chestnut underwing. The black-winged pratincole shares the black upperwing flight feathers, and lacks a white trailing edge to the wing.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Where you might meet both
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Australian Pratincole and Oriental Pratincole.