Great Thick-knee

Taxobox
name = Great Thick-knee

---

status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Charadriiformes
familia = Burhinidae
genus = "Esacus"
species = "E. recurvirostris"
binomial = "Esacus recurvirostris"
binomial_authority = (Cuvier, 1829)
range_

range_map_caption = Distribution of E. recurvirostris in dark green. E. magnirostris in light green

The Great Thick-knee ("Esacus recurvirostris") is a very large wader which is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from Pakistan and India, Sri Lanka into South-east Asia.

This is a species of gravel banks along rivers or near lakes, and also beaches. A single egg is laid in a bare scrape on the open shingle.

It is mainly nocturnal or crepuscular like other stone-curlews, but can frequently be seen foraging by daylight, moving slowly and deliberately, with occasional short runs. It tends to be wary and fly off into the distance ahead of the observer, employing powerful, rather stiff wingbeats.

The Great Thick-knee is a very large wader at 49–55 cm, and has a massive 7 cm upturned bill. It has unstreaked grey-brown upperparts and breast, with rest of the underparts whitish. The face has a striking black and white pattern, and the bill is black with a yellow base. The eyes are bright yellow and the legs a duller greenish-yellow.

In flight, the Great Thick-knee shows black and white flight feathers on the upperwing, and a mainly white underwing. Sexes are similar, but young birds are slightly paler than adults.

The call is a wailing whistle, given mainly at night, as with other birds in this family. The Great Thick-knee eats crabs, large insects, and other animal prey.

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
* "Shorebirds" by Hayman, Marchant and Prater ISBN 0-395-60237-8