Appearance:

Build like a Magpie, but slightly more slender. Black hood, white throat, buff body and beautiful azure-blue wings and tail. Unmistakable if seen well. In unfavorable conditions the long tail in combination with the black hood and contrasting pale throat is diagnostic. Sexes alike. Flight similar to Magpie, but less staccato and more decisive. Behaves more like a Jay than a Magpie, and usually moves about in small groups.

Sound:

Most typical call is a high-pitched, finch-like, rapidly ascending "hvrriit" (similar to some Siberian Jay or Jay calls). Has a rich repertoire various social sounds of which some are more Magpie-like, like a dry and rolling "krrrrrrr".

Contact call, interaction calls:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Appearance:

Only likely to be confused with other pratincoles, but diagnostic field marks often difficult to see. Differs from Collared Pratincole by black underwing and lack of white trailing edge to upperwing (both characters requires good light). Tail streamers shorter than wing-tips and base of bill with less red (in breeding plumage). Build slightly stockier than Collared Pratincole, with longer legs. Lore and forehead often darker. Sexes alike. Lacks black necklace in winter plumage. Immature birds are similar to winter-plumaged adults, but with additional scaly upperparts. A third species, Oriental Pratincole, is a rare vagrant with rufous underwing, no wing-bar, and even shorter tail.

Sound:

Also see Collared Pratincole. Differs from latter by the hard parts being dryer, more clicking and staccato, while the more melodic components are more mewing. Like with Collared Pratincole beware confusion risk with Little Tern, which is similar in timbre.

Various calls:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

CC-sound:Vladimir Arkhipov, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Ignaas Robbe, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:maholyoak, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Lars Buckx, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Hilde Ham, Licence,Link.