Egyptian plover
The Egyptian plover is a wader. It is the only member of the genus Pluvianus.
| Egyptian plover | |
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| Kaur Wetlands, the Gambia | |
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| Scientific classification | |
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| Family: | Pluvianidae
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| Genus: | Pluvianus Vieillot, 1816
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| Species: | P. aegyptius
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| Binomial name | |
| Pluvianus aegyptius (Linnaeus, 1758)
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It is sometimes called the crocodile bird. This is because of a story dating to Herodotus. In the story the crocodiles lie on the shore with their mouths open. The plovers fly into the crocodiles' mouths to feed on bits of meat between the crocodiles' teeth. There is no evidence of this actually happening.[2]
The Egyptian plover lives in tropical sub-Saharan Africa. It breeds on sandbars in large rivers. Its two or three eggs are buried in warm sand. It feeds by pecking for insects. The call is a high-pitched krrr-krrr-krrr.
Egyptian Plover Media
A characteristic pair of Egyptian plovers (Pluvianus aegyptius) feeding on the shoreline, The Gambia, November 2021
Egyptian Plover
Egyptian Plover
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2004). Pluvianus aegyptius. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
- ↑ Adam Britton (2009-09-06). "Croc Blog: Crocodile myths #1 - the curious trochilus". Crocodilian.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2011-10-20.