The pratincoles and coursers (family Glareolidae) are a family of birds belonging to the order Charadriiformes, often regarded as shorebirds. This family includes two fundamentally different groups of birds. Coursers are long-legged terrestrial birds with inconspicuous and crepuscular habits, feeding on insects on the ground similarly to other plovers. Instead, pratincoles are short-legged birds skilled at hunting insects on flight — often culturally regarded as being similar to swallows —, generally live close to the water and often travel in large groups, with some species performing long-distance migrations.
The family comprises 17 species belonging to 4 genera. Genera Smutsornis (1 species), Rhinoptilus (3 species) and Cursorius (5 species) includes terrestrial birds of arid and open ecosystems known as coursers. Genus Glareola (8 species) includes birds of marshes, rivers and other wetlands known as pratincoles.
Kudavellari paddyfields near Munnar, Kerala, India, 30 Dec 2024
Small pratincole
Glareola lactea
Inhabitant of rivers, lakes and flooded areas of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Overall light gray with a white orbital ring and secondaries in flight with a black trailing end. It is the smallest pratincole species, therefore similar in size and habits to swallows or swifts. I have seen this species in rice paddies in India.
El Hondo Natural Park, Alicante, Spain, 1 May 2025
Collared pratincole
Glareola pratincola
Mainly migratory species, breeding in a range of wetlands from the Mediterranean basin to Central Asia and the Indus Valley and spending the non-breeding period in Subsaharan Africa, where some birds stay all year round in different locations. Although mostly associated to marshes, wetlands and saltpans, some populations use dryer arable land. This species is a regular summer visitor and breeds in different locations in Alicante.
