Stone-curlew

Stone curlew ( Burhinus oedicnemus )

The bird family of stone curlews ( Burhinidae ) comprises a single genus ( Burhinus ) with 9 species. Sometimes, however, are also two types of Krabbentriel and Rifftriel, placed in its own genus Esacus.

Appearance

Triele are medium to large stately, mostly inconspicuous colored waders with strong legs, strong beak and pointed, long wings. The legs have in most species a significantly thickened heel joint. The three toes of the feet are connected with a short chip skin, a hind toe is missing. Characteristic are further large eyes, usually with yellow iris.

Triele are lively, moving birds with wailing broke birdlike cries. They fly rapidly with rapid wing beats, where they stay with close to the ground. The legs are wide stretched backward. Usually they can during the flight no shouts resound.

Distribution area

Stone curlews are found in the temperate and tropical regions of the world. In the Western Palearctic are represented by the stone curlew and the Senegaltriel two ways. Among the regions that are not populated by species of this genus, is one of North America, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Habitat and behavior

Triele are residents of arid areas, savannas and semi-deserts, and from stony sections of coastal and river. Cultivated land is populated only in exceptional cases.

Most members of the genus are crepuscular or nocturnal ground-nesting birds. The wide spread distribution of the family comprises the southern and temperate Europe from the Canary Islands east to Turkey, Africa with the exception of pure desert and rainforest regions, the Middle East, Central and South Asia, Indochina, most of the islands in the Indo-Pacific area, New Guinea and Australia. North America is obtained from this genus only in the extreme southern Mexico, South America in the north to northern Brazil and in the west to northern Chile.

Species

• Stone Curlew ( Burhinus ) Stone Curlew, European stone curlew (B. oedicnemus )
• Senegaltriel (B. senegalensis )
• Wassertriel (B. vermiculatus )
• Kaptriel (B. capensis )
• Dominikanertriel (B. bistriatus )
• Perutriel (B. superciliaris )
• Langschwanztriel (B. grallarius; earlier example magnirostris ).
• Krabbentriel (B. recurvirostris or Esacus r. )
• Rifftriel (B. giganteus or Esacus magnirostris )