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9

Eurasian Stone-curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) Alternate name(s): "Eurasian Thick-knee", "Stone curlew" German name(s): "Triel", "Eulenkopf", "Glotzauge" Size: 38-45 cm; wing span: 76-88 cm Weight: 290-535 g

Europe: Family Group 9 Family Group 9 Table Red Phalarope Eurasian Stone-curlew Black-winged Stilt Pied Avocet Collared Pratincole Eurasian Oystercatcher Common Ringed Plover Little Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Grey Plover European Golden Plover Northern Lapwing Spur-winged Lapwing Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Eurasian Stone-curlews are medium-sized, long-legged waders with an highly cryptic plumage. The cap, neck, chest and the entire back are creamy to light brownish-grey, with dark brownish-grey streaking. The streaks are bolder on the body than on the head. The wings have wide creamy-greyish panels, with a white-black-white wing bar on top. Apart from a wide darker band through the eyes, the sides of the head and the chin are creamy, bordered by a darker, streaked moustachial stripe. The belly and vent are also creamy, while the undertail coverts are rufous. The irises are dark-yellow. The strong, straight bill is black, with a yellow base. The legs and feet are yellowish-grey. Juvenile birds have a shorter bill, less prominent wing bars, less streaking, an in general lower colour contrast and no rufous undertail coverts.

Taxonomy, classification See Eurasian Stone-curlew at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Eurasian Stone-curlew is available HERE . There are 5 extant races of Eurasian Stone-curlews, which are a partly migratory species. They are sedentary only around the southern and western Mediterranean Sea and along the North-west African coast. In sub-Saharan Africa and in parts of Arabia they are winter visitors, while in temperate parts of Europe and in Asia Minor they are breeding migrants. Their stronghold is in south-western to southern and central Asia, in a region from South of the Caucasus mountain range and around the Caspian Sea to roughly the western border of China and from northern Iraq (the Euphrates/Tigris river system) to the border of Pakistan with India. In Europe Eurasian Stone-curlews are sedentary in the southern 2/3 of Iberia. Elsewhere in Europe, including the Mediterranean islands where they occur, they are found only as breeding migrants from the South or on their migration. Apart from a large fraction of France, their breeding range encompasses only a few sites in southern England, a few in Germany, Italy and the eastern Adriatic coastline. Otherwise, they have strongholds along the Danube River, downstream from the Czech Republic, parts of Greece and the western and northern Black Sea coastline, out to the western Caspian Sea. Eurasian Stone-curlews are one of the species of waders specializing in life in dry, open habitats, with either sandy or rocky soil, where they also nest in a scrape.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "oedicnemus" J. Pires reports finding Eurasian Stone-curlews, nominate race "oedicnemus", in Albufeira do Divor, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, in February 2016. Others were found near Mora, Evora, Portugal, in May 2020. Race "saharae" Although not found in Europe, we show here for completeness photos of race "saharae" taken by M. Eaton in Egypt.

Photos

Race "oedicnemus"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew; note the bold wing bars, indicating that this is an adult bird (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew, different stance (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]

Dorsal view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew keeping an eye on the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]

Distant dorsal view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew spreading its wings (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira do Divor, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2016]

Lateral view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew in flight, wings down (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]

Near-dorsal view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]

Near-dorsal view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2020]

Distant dorsal view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew in a rocky landscape (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira do Divor, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2016]

Distant near-dorsal view of two Eurasian Stone-curlews in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira do Divor, near Mora, Evora, Portugal, February 2016]

Race "saharae"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]

Near-frontal view of an Eurasian Stone-curlew scratching its neck (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[November 2017]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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