Little Pratincole on Kalagarh Dam, in Corbett

From the archive record

Little Pratincole on Kalagarh dam, Corbett National Park. The name "Pratincole" comes from the term pratincola coined by German naturalist Wilhelm Heinrich Kramer from the Latin words prātum meadow and incola resident. The Pratincoles or Greywaders is a part of the Glareolidae family just like coursers and Egyptian Plover. They have long forked tails with pointed wings and short legs. These birds are waders and have the unusual feature that they hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows. They can also feed on the ground. They have adapted their short bills due to their aerial feeding. With fast and graceful flight like swallow or a tern, they track their prey with many turns and twist. They are mainly active at dawn and dusk, and rest when the day is warmest.The partincoles prefer