Small Pratincole

Description:

The Small or Indian small pratincole is a small (about 15 - 16 cm in length) and discreet wader, brown above, and pale brown below. It has a small curved black bill with red base, and large white-rimmed eyes. Very small and of earthy colours, it is extremely well camouflaged when nesting on the ground.

Habitat:

Small pratincoles are birds of South Asia. Here, observed resting in an intertidal zone, covered by a mangrove type of vegetation, at the beach near Cox's Bazar, at the foothills of Himchari National Park. The beach in question is the part of That beach (longest sand beach of the world - 120 Km).

Notes:

That outing was the best and richest birdwatching (or, rather, nature-watching as I was not discriminating...) day during my stay in Cox's; and the pearl of that collection is this encounter. That morning, in a span of two hours, I saw a small group of them twice (or two different groups), almost on the same spot. Both times, they were not alarmed by my presence at some 10 - 15 meters, and have let me photograph them at will...