Egyptian plover
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Egyptian plover | |
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Kaur Wetlands, the Gambia | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Charadriiformes |
Family: | Pluvianidae MacGillivray, 1852 |
Genus: | Pluvianus Vieillot, 1816 |
Species: | P. aegyptius
|
Binomial name | |
Pluvianus aegyptius | |
Synonyms | |
Charadrius aegyptius Linnaeus, 1758 |
The Egyptian plover (Pluvianus aegyptius), also known as the crocodile bird, is a
The species is one of several
Description
The Egyptian plover is a striking and unmistakable species. The 19–21 cm long adult has a black crown, back, eye-mask and breast band. The rest of the head is white. The remaining upperpart plumage is blue-grey, and the underparts are orange. The longish legs are blue-grey.
In flight, it is even more spectacular, with the black crown and back contrasting with the grey of the upperparts and wings. The flight feathers are brilliant white crossed by a black bar. From below, the flying bird is entirely white, apart from the orange belly and black wing bar. After landing, members of a pair greet each other by raising their wings in an elaborate ceremony that shows off the black and white markings. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller and the black marking are intermixed with brown.
Habitat and range
The Egyptian plover is a localised resident in tropical
Behaviour
This usually very tame bird is found in pairs or small groups near water. It feeds by pecking for insects. The call is a high-pitched krrr-krrr-krrr. Due to how tame it is, people often get closer than is safe.
Breeding
Its two or three
Supposed relationship with crocodiles
The bird is sometimes referred to as the crocodile bird for its
Gallery
Notes
- ^ The image by Warren Photographic showing an Egyptian plover apparently inside the mouth of a Nile crocodile is stated on its website to be "[a] digital reconstruction of [the] popular myth attributed to Herodotus, 5th Century BC. Africa."[6]
- ^ The short video showing seven Egyptian plovers cleaning the mouth of a crocodile is CGI from a bubble gum advertisement[7]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-521-89294-0. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
- ^ National Geographic Magazine, 1986.
- ^ The History of Herodotus - Book II
- ^ Crocodiles Would Never Eat This Bird, retrieved 2023-02-03
- ^ "WP00955 Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) with Egyptian Plover or Crocodile Bird (Pluvianus aegyptius)". Warren Photographic. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
WP00955 Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) with Egyptian Plover or Crocodile Bird (Pluvianus aegyptius) - digital reconstruction of popular myth attributed to Herodotus, 5th Century BC. Africa.
- ^ "Dentyne White - Crocodile bird". YouTube. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ^ Breeding Biology of the Egyptian Plover by Thomas R. Howell
General references
- Hayman, Marchant and Prater, Shorebirds ISBN 0-7099-2034-2
- Richford, Andrew S.; Christopher J. Mead (2003). "Pratincoles and Coursers". In ISBN 1-55297-777-3.