Oriental Pratincole

1. Cream throat bordered by a thin black collar (breeding adults)

2. White rump and forked tail with black tips, especially visible in flight

3. Chestnut underwing coverts seen when the bird banks or turns

Oriental Pratincoles are aerial specialists, feeding primarily on flying insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and winged termites, which they catch on the wing with swift, swallow-like maneuvers. They are most active at dawn and dusk, and large flocks may gather at bushfires to feed on insects escaping the flames. The species breeds in colonies across Asia, from Pakistan and India through Southeast Asia to China and Russia, laying eggs in shallow scrapes on open ground. In Australia, they are strictly non-breeding visitors, arriving late November to December and departing by early April, with their movements closely tied to rainfall and food availability.

During the Australian wet season, Oriental Pratincoles are found across northern Australia, especially in the northwest, including the Northern Territory, northern Western Australia, and northern Queensland. They favour open habitats such as grassy plains, muddy floodplains, claypans, and sometimes airfields or beaches. Flocks are often seen at dawn and dusk, twisting through the air as they hunt insects. Their numbers and locations can change rapidly, as they are highly nomadic and track insect swarms following rainfall.