Crab-plover

Crab-plover
Crab-plover
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Dromadidae
GR Gray, 1840
Genus: Dromas
Paykull, 1805
Species: D. ardeola
Binomial name
Dromas ardeola
Paykull, 1805

The Crab-plover or Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola) is a bird related to the waders, but sufficiently distinctive to merit its own family Dromadidae. Its relationship within the Charadriiformes is unclear, some have considered it to be closely related to the thick-knees, or the pratincoles, while others have considered it closer to the auks and gulls. It is the only member of the genus Dromas and is unique among waders in making use of ground warmth to aid incubation of the eggs.

Contents

Description

The feet are partially webbed

This bird resembles a plover, but has very long grey legs and a strong heavy black bill similar to a tern. Its black-and-white plumage and long-necked upright posture with heavy bill makes it distinctive and unmistakable. Its bill is unique among waders, and specialised for eating crabs. It has partially webbed toes. The plumage is white except for black on its back and in the primary feathers of the wings. They are noisy birds, calling frequently on their breeding sites and in their wintering grounds. The usual call is a ka similar to that of the Bar-tailed Godwit but repeated rapidly. Flocks may produce a whinnying sound that rises and at in the breeding season produce whistling kew-ki-ki notes.[2]

Males and females are not easily distinguished but males have a heavier and longer bill. Juveniles have the black on the mantle, greyish and remain in this plumage for a year. Flocks fly in lines or "V" formations.[2]

The Crab Plover is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Range

It is resident on the coasts and islands of the Indian Ocean, where it feeds on crabs and other small animals. They are gregarious and will feed in large groups, at night and during dawn and dusk as well as during the day; this crepuscular and nocturnal behaviour is more common during the breeding season. They breed around the Arabian Sea of Pakistan, Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Somalia in the months of April to July then disperse across the Indian Ocean in August as far as the Andaman Islands and Sri Lanka in the east and Tanzania and Madagascar.[2]

Habits

The Crab Plover is unusual for waders in that it nests in burrows in sandy banks. In the Red Sea region, the breeding season begins around the middle of May.[3] It is a colonial breeder, nesting in colonies as large 1500 pairs. It lays one white egg, occasionally two, which are large for its body size. The nest burrow temperature is optimal due to solar radiation and the parents are able to leave the nest unattended for as long as 58 hours.[4] The chicks are also unique for the usually nidifugous waders in being unable to walk and remain in the nest for several days after hatching, having food brought to them. Even once they fledge they have a long period of parental care afterwards. Both males and females take care of the young.[5]

Notes

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2009). Dromas ardeola. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 23 November 2009.
  2. ^ a b c Hayman, P., J. Marchant, T. Prater. (1986). Shorebirds: an indentification guide to the waders of the world. Croom Helm , London. pp. 222–223. 
  3. ^ Baker,ECS (1929). "The game birds of the Indian empire. Part 8. The waders and other Semi-sporting birds". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 33 (2): 223–228. 
  4. ^ De Marchi, G., Chiozzi, G., Fasola, M. (2008). "Solar incubation cuts down parental care in a burrow nesting tropical shorebird, the crab plover Dromas ardeola". Journal of Avian Biology 39 (5): 484–486. doi:10.1111/j.0908-8857.2008.04523.x. 
  5. ^ Szekely, Tamas & John D. Reynolds (1995). "Evolutionary Transitions in Parental Care in Shorebirds.". Proc. R. Soc. B. 262 (1363): 57–64. 

References

  • Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume Three, Hoatzin to Auks; de Hoyo, Elliot and Sargatal, ISBN 84-87334-20-2

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Crab plover — Crab Crab (kr[a^]b), n. [AS. crabba; akin to D. krab, G. krabbe, krebs, Icel. krabbi, Sw. krabba, Dan. krabbe, and perh. to E. cramp. Cf. {Crawfish}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) One of the brachyuran Crustacea. They are mostly marine, and usually have a broad …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Crab Plover — Taxobox name = Crab Plover status = LC | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Charadriiformes familia = Dromadidae familia authority = GR Gray, 1840 genus = Dromas genus authority = Paykull, 1805… …   Wikipedia

  • crab plover — drominiai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Dromadidae angl. crab plover ryšiai: platesnis terminas – sėjikiniai paukščiai siauresnis terminas – krabiniai sėjikai …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • crab plover — krabiniai sėjikai statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Dromas angl. crab plover vok. Reiherläufer, m pranc. drome ardéole, f ryšiai: platesnis terminas – drominiai siauresnis terminas – krabinis sėjikas …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • crab plover — krabinis sėjikas statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Dromas ardeola angl. crab plover vok. Reiherläufer, m pranc. drome ardéole, f ryšiai: platesnis terminas – krabiniai sėjikai …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • crab plover — ▪ bird  (species Dromas ardeola), long legged, black and white bird of Indian Ocean coasts, related to plovers and allied species of shorebirds. It comprises the family Dromadidae (order Charadriiformes). Crab plovers are tame, noisy birds about… …   Universalium

  • crab plover — noun : a bird (Dromas ardeola) like a plover widely distributed along the east coast of Africa and the southern shores of Asia where it feeds chiefly on crabs and burrows into sandbanks to deposit its single white egg …   Useful english dictionary

  • crab-plover — /krab pluv euhr, ploh veuhr/, n. a black and white wading bird, Dromas ardeola, of the northern and western shores of the Indian Ocean. [so called from its diet] * * * …   Universalium

  • crab-plover — /krab pluv euhr, ploh veuhr/, n. a black and white wading bird, Dromas ardeola, of the northern and western shores of the Indian Ocean. [so called from its diet] …   Useful english dictionary

  • Crab — (kr[a^]b), n. [AS. crabba; akin to D. krab, G. krabbe, krebs, Icel. krabbi, Sw. krabba, Dan. krabbe, and perh. to E. cramp. Cf. {Crawfish}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) One of the brachyuran Crustacea. They are mostly marine, and usually have a broad, short… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”