Beach Stone-curlew

Description:

The Beach Stone-Curlew is a very large thick-set wader. Adults have a large head, massive uptilted bill, hunched profile, stout legs and thick 'knees' (actually ankles). The upper body is predominately grey-brown with distinctive black and white patterning on the face, shoulder and secondary wings. The throat and breast are a paler grey-brown, the belly is white and the wings are white with some black on the tips. The large bill is yellow at the base and black at the tip. Beach Stone-Curlews have a large yellow eye and a broad black eye patch, with white bands above and below it. Also known as the Beach Thick-knee

Habitat:

The Beach Stone-Curlew occurs on open, undisturbed beaches, islands, reefs, and estuarine intertidal sand and mudflats, prefering beaches with estuaries or mangroves nearby. However this species also frequents river mouths, offshore sandbars associated with coral atolls, reefs and rock platforms and coastal lagoons.

Notes:

Feeding: The Beach Stone-Curlew forages on large intertidal mudflats, sandflats, sandbanks and sandpits exposed by low tide for crabs and other marine invertebrates. Breeding: Beach Stone-curlew nests may be located on sandbanks, sandpits, or islands in estuaries, coral ridges, among mangroves or in the sand surrounded by short grass and scattered casuarinas. Typically one egg is laid per season, however, the female may lay a second egg if the first is lost. Once the young have hatched, both parents care for them until they reach 7-12 months old.