Stilt swallow

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Stilt swallow
Stilt swallow (Stiltia isabella)

Stilt swallow ( Stiltia isabella )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Plover-like (Charadriiformes)
Family : Curlews (Glareolidae)
Subfamily : Curlews (Glareolinae)
Genre : Stiltia
Type : Stilt swallow
Scientific name
Stiltia isabella
( Vieillot , 1816)

The stilts Brachschwalbe ( Stiltia isabella ) is within the order of Regenpfeiferartigen the family of Brachschwalbe-like .

features

The stilt curlew differs from all other curlew species by its long legs. In other characteristics, too, they are more similar to racing birds . It has a medium-length neck and a large, wedge-shaped head. The wings of the bird are very long and sharply pointed at the end. Its tail is short, forked and clearly surmounted by the wings of the hand . Its beak is short, thin and slightly curved down its entire length. The beak shaft is colored orange-red, the beak tip is dark. Her large eyes are surrounded by a white eyelid ring. The bird's throat is cream-colored, the head, neck and chest are yellow-brown in color. The back and shoulder feathers are red-brown, the tail and the remaining parts of the wings are dark brown in color. The belly of the stilt swallow is beige to white, between this and the breast there is a reddish band. Young birds are generally gray in color. This curlew is 23 centimeters long.

Way of life

The stilt swallow catches its prey ( insects ) both in the air and on the ground. She picks up the animals or stretches to capture low-flying insects. In the twilight it hunts in swarms and can climb very high. The nest is a simple hollow in the ground, dug with the feet and formed by body pressure. It is sometimes bordered with stones and twigs, but not padded. The two to three eggs have a camouflage color. The young birds leave the nest immediately after hatching. The stilt swallow is a partial migrant .

distribution

This curlew type breeds in northern Australia , some birds overwinter in northern Australia, New Guinea , the Moluccas , Sulawesi , south-east Borneo and on the islands from Timor to Java . She is thus a partial puller. It sometimes lives in very dry areas such as deserts and steppes , but always stays close to water.

literature

  • Colin Harrison and Alan Greensmith: Birds of the World . Ravensburger Buchverlag, 1994, ISBN 3473460761
  • David Burnie: Animals the Great Picture Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley Verlag GmbH, Munich 2001, ISBN 3831002029
  • Bernhard Grzimek: Grzimeks animal life. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co.KG, Munich 1968, ISBN 3423059702

Web links