The great stone-curlew or great thick-knee is a large wader which is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh into South-east Asia.
Region
South Asia and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Found from Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka through Bangladesh and Myanmar to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. It favors wide, undisturbed stretches of large rivers, reservoirs, and coastal estuaries with sandy or gravelly banks and islands. Nests are placed on open sandbars, shingle, or sparsely vegetated flats near water. By day it often roosts motionless among stones and driftwood, relying on camouflage.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the great thick-knee, this large wader is superbly camouflaged against sand and gravel bars along big tropical rivers. Its huge yellow eyes and cryptic plumage help it forage mainly at night and at dusk. In flight it shows a striking white wing bar. It usually lays a single, well-camouflaged egg directly on open sand or shingle.
Temperament
wary and crepuscular
Flight Pattern
strong flier with steady wingbeats; shows bold wing bar
Social Behavior
Typically found singly, in pairs, or small loose groups on wide river bars. Monogamous pairs nest on the ground, often laying a single egg on bare sand or gravel. Both parents share incubation and chick-guarding, relying on distraction displays and camouflage to deter predators.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Mostly silent by day, but at dusk and night gives loud, ringing whistles and yelps. Calls carry far over open water and sandbars, often in a series during territorial or alarm contexts.
