Why these shorebirds hunt insects on the wing like swallows instead of wading

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Pratincoles defy the typical shorebird archetype. While they are classified as waders, these birds hunt insects mid-air with the agility of a swallow. Their short bills are specialized for this aerial lifestyle, and they prefer to rest during the heat of the day, emerging at dawn and dusk to feed.

The pratincole, belonging to the genus Glareola, presents a fascinating evolutionary puzzle. While traditionally grouped with plovers, modern genetic research has shifted their classification into the suborder Lari. This places them in closer evolutionary proximity to gulls, terns, and the crab-plover than to the waders they were once thought to resemble. The genus name itself, introduced by French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760, derives from the Latin word for gravel, reflecting their tendency to nest on bare ground.

Their behavior is equally distinct. Unlike many shorebirds that forage by probing mud, pratincoles are masters of the air. Their long, pointed wings and forked tails allow for rapid, twisting flight patterns used to capture insects on the wing. While they are capable of running on the ground to snatch prey, their anatomy is clearly adapted for aerial hunting. This behavior is so pronounced that they are sometimes referred to as swallow plovers. They inhabit warmer regions across the Old World, spanning from southern Europe and Africa through Asia to Australia, with many species undertaking long-distance migrations.

Nesting habits reveal further adaptations to their environment. Pratincoles typically lay two to four eggs in simple, bare scrapes on the ground. In some regions, they nest colonially, sometimes utilizing the hoofprints of grazing animals. The chicks are precocial, meaning they are capable of running almost immediately after hatching. The Australian pratincole, formerly classified in the genus Stiltia, remains a notable outlier; it is longer-legged and more terrestrial than its relatives, favoring the arid plains of the Australian interior. Despite these variations, the group remains a cohesive example of how birds can evolve specialized niches far removed from their ancestral behaviors.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Why these desert birds are actually more like gulls than traditional waders
• Ninety-eight shorebirds that nest in a scrape of earth
• The Killdeer is a shorebird that prefers golf courses over the actual beach
• Why some birds fly halfway across the globe without stopping for a single break
• The turnstone is a master of the shoreline, flipping obstacles to find hidden meals.
• This ancient bird looked like a flamingo but acted like a modern duck
• The bizarre life of the pouched lamprey, a jawless parasite with a mysterious pouch
• Why the male proboscis monkey evolved a fleshy, pendulous nose that hangs below its mouth.
• The potoroo is a tiny, truffle-hunting marsupial surviving against the odds in Australia
• The Procellariidae family: masters of the open ocean and long-distance navigation
• The nocturnal potoo is essentially a pair of enormous eyes and a gaping mouth
• Was this ancient primate the missing link between humans and the great apes?

More in Vertebrates · More in Nature · Latest · A–Z · All topics