The Australian pratincole is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae. It breeds in Australia's interior and winters in northern and eastern parts of the continent, Indonesia and New Guinea. It is a medium-sized nomadic shorebird but is commonly found in arid inland Australia. It breeds predominantly from south-western Queensland to northern Victoria, and through central Australia to the Kimberley region in Western Australia. The Australian population is estimated at 60,000 individuals.
Region
Australasia
Typical Environment
Breeds widely across Australia’s arid and semi-arid interior, especially from south-western Queensland through central Australia to the Kimberley. After breeding, many move to northern and eastern Australia, and some continue to southern New Guinea and parts of Indonesia. Prefers open gibber and sandy plains, short-grass pastures, floodplains, and margins of ephemeral lakes and rivers. It avoids dense vegetation and relies on expansive sight lines to detect prey and predators.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1000 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This long-legged pratincole often forages like a swallow, hawking insects in swift, agile flights over open ground. It breeds on sparsely vegetated stony or sandy plains, laying well-camouflaged eggs in a simple scrape. Movements are highly nomadic and tied to rainfall, with many birds shifting north after breeding to winter in northern Australia, Indonesia, and southern New Guinea.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
swift and agile flier with rapid sallies and long pointed-wing glides
Social Behavior
Often forms loose flocks outside the breeding season and gathers around ephemeral water. Nests are simple ground scrapes placed on open stony or sandy flats, typically in scattered pairs or loose colonies. Both adults share incubation and chick-rearing.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft trills and twittering calls, with sharp chip notes during foraging. Alarm calls are brisk and repeated, especially near nests.
