Small Pratincole

[Abhishek Jamalabad]

After a long long time, I took a break from marine wildlife and looked for terrestrial birds, and found a flock of small pratincoles on the local beach. My first sighting/photographs of a pratincole.

The small pratincole (Glareola lactea) is smaller and more common than the other 2 species found in India. They rest and nest in shallow scrapes on sand/gravel banks, and forage by hawking for insects in a manner similar to swallows. I found these individuals mixing closely with a large flock of Kentish plovers.

Nikon D3100, Nikkor 70-300 mm
SS 1/1250
Av 5.6
ISO 200
EC -0.7
Full frame along the length (cropped strips from the top and bottom for a more rectangular frame)

Thanks, C&C welcome.