Small Pratincole

Glareola lactea Temminck, 1820

16–19 cmLength45 cmWingspan40 gWeight

This small, sandy-gray bird catches insects in flight over water at dusk.

Busiest months: February · Most records: India, Thailand, Sri Lanka

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Sandy-gray overall with a white belly
A single broad white band and a single black band on the underwing in flight
Tail tip square or slightly forked, with black bands
Black around the bill and eyes

Male, female and young

Sexes similar; in the breeding season the corners of the bill are darker and the throat pale yellow or pinkish-brown; pale brown stripes appear on the throat in winter; juveniles have a white chin and resemble adults in winter plumage.

Voice

Often a short “tuk, tuk, tuk”, changing to a high-pitched “tiririt, tiririt” when disturbed.

Where and when it's recorded

Small Pratincole has been recorded at 230 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Bundala NPSri Lanka449 records
Ujani Dam – Kumbhargaon Bird SanctuaryIndia444 records
Nameri National Park & SurroundingsIndia383 records

More places

Osman Sagar LakeIndia367 records
Mae Taeng Irrigation ProjectThailand285 records
Nalsarovar Bird SanctuaryIndia269 records
Padma River & CharsBangladesh254 records
Tha Ton – water tower vicinityThailand235 records
Ameenpur Lake, HyderabadIndia222 records
Gajoldoba Barrage JGIndia218 records

Countries and regions with the most records

India Thailand Sri Lanka Nepal Cambodia Bangladesh China Laos

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The small pratincole, little pratincole, or small Indian pratincole (Glareola lactea) is a small wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Small Pratincole?

The Small Pratincole is about 16–19 cm long, with a wingspan of 45 cm and weighs around 40 g.

Where does the Small Pratincole live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: foothills to sub-Himalayan rivers from northeastern south to Sri Lanka, east through Nepal, Bhutan, southern Yunnan (southern China) to Vietnam. It is most often recorded in India, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

When is the best time to see the Small Pratincole?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Small Pratincole endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Small Pratincole as Least Concern.

What does the Small Pratincole eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Small Pratincole in?

It belongs to the family Coursers, Pratincoles (Glareolidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 16–19 cm
Wingspan: 45 cm
Weight: 40 g
Habitat: Rivers & streams
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Feeds in the air
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 147 mm
Tail: 51 mm
Bill: 13 mm
Tarsus: 21 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: foothills to sub-Himalayan rivers from northeastern south to Sri Lanka, east through Nepal, Bhutan, southern Yunnan (southern China) to Vietnam

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2