The Egyptian plover (Pluvianus aegyptius), also known as the crocodile bird, is a wader, the only member of the genus Pluvianus. Formerly placed in the pratincole and courser family, Glareolidae, it is now regarded as the sole member of its own monotypic family Pluvianidae.
The Egyptian plover is a striking and unmistakable species. The 19–21 cm long adult has a black crown, back, eye-mask and breast band. The rest of the head is white. The remaining upperpart plumage is blue-grey, and the underparts are orange. The longish legs are blue-grey.
In flight, it is even more spectacular, with the black crown and back contrasting with the grey of the upperparts and wings. The flight feathers are brilliant white crossed by a black bar. From below, the flying bird is entirely white, apart from the orange belly and black wing bar. After landing, members of a pair greet each other by raising their wings in an elaborate ceremony that shows off the black and white markings. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller and the black marking are intermixed with brown.
Habitat and range
The Egyptian plover is a localised resident in tropical sub-SaharanAfrica. It breeds on sandbars in very large rivers. Despite its vernacular and scientific names, it is not present in modern-day Egypt.[1] However when it was described in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, the Egyptian state encompassed much of the territory that the bird is found in, including Sudan, Chad, and Ethiopia.[2]
Behaviour
This usually very tame bird is found in pairs or small groups near water. It feeds by pecking for insects. The call is a high-pitched krrr-krrr-krrr. Due to how tame it is, people often get closer than is safe.
Breeding
Its two or three eggs are not incubated, but are buried in warm sand, temperature control being achieved by the adult sitting on the eggs with a water-soaked belly to cool them. If the adult leaves the nest, it smooths sand over the eggs, though if it is frightened the job may be hasty. The chicks are precocial, and can run as soon as they are hatched and feed themselves shortly afterwards. The adults cool the chicks in the same way as with the eggs. The chicks may drink water from the adult's belly feathers. The adults bury the chicks in the sand temporarily if danger threatens.
The bird is sometimes referred to as the crocodile bird for its symbiotic relationship with crocodiles.[3] According to Herodotus, the crocodiles lie on the shore with their mouths open and a bird called "trochilus" flies into the crocodiles' mouths so as to feed on decaying meat lodged between the crocodiles' teeth.[4] The identification of the trochilus with any particular plover is doubtful, as is the cleaning symbiosis itself; no known photographic evidence exists,[a][b] and the written accounts are considered suspect by the biologist Thomas Howell.[7]
Gallery
Notes
^The image by Warren Photographic showing an Egyptian plover apparently inside the mouth of a Nile crocodile is stated on its website to be "[a] digital reconstruction of [the] popular myth attributed to Herodotus, 5th Century BC. Africa."[5]
^The short video showing seven Egyptian plovers cleaning the mouth of a crocodile is CGI from a bubble gum advertisement[6]
References
^ abBirdLife International (2016). "Pluvianus aegyptius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22694086A93437931. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22694086A93437931.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
^Jane Hathaway (4 April 2002). The Politics of Households in Ottoman Egypt: The Rise of the Qazdaglis. Cambridge University Press. p. 9. ISBN978-0-521-89294-0. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
^"WP00955 Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) with Egyptian Plover or Crocodile Bird (Pluvianus aegyptius)". Warren Photographic. Retrieved 25 February 2015. WP00955 Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) with Egyptian Plover or Crocodile Bird (Pluvianus aegyptius) - digital reconstruction of popular myth attributed to Herodotus, 5th Century BC. Africa.
^"Dentyne White - Crocodile bird". Retrieved 19 July 2019.
^Breeding Biology of the Egyptian Plover by Thomas R. Howell
General references
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pluvianus aegyptius.
Richford, Andrew S.; Christopher J. Mead (2003). "Pratincoles and Coursers". In Christopher Perrins (ed.). Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds. Firefly Books. pp. 252–253. ISBN1-55297-777-3.
January 29, 2023
egyptian, plover, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, august, 2. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Egyptian plover news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Egyptian plover Pluvianus aegyptius also known as the crocodile bird is a wader the only member of the genus Pluvianus Formerly placed in the pratincole and courser family Glareolidae it is now regarded as the sole member of its own monotypic family Pluvianidae Egyptian ploverKaur Wetlands the GambiaConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder CharadriiformesFamily PluvianidaeMacGillivray 1852Genus PluvianusVieillot 1816Species P aegyptiusBinomial namePluvianus aegyptius Linnaeus 1758 SynonymsCharadrius aegyptius Linnaeus 1758A characteristic pair of Egyptian plovers Pluvianus aegyptius feeding on the shoreline The Gambia November 2021 The species is one of several plovers doubtfully associated with the trochilus bird mentioned in a supposed cleaning symbiosis with the Nile crocodile Contents 1 Description 2 Habitat and range 3 Behaviour 3 1 Breeding 3 2 Supposed relationship with crocodiles 4 Gallery 5 Notes 6 References 6 1 General referencesDescription EditThe Egyptian plover is a striking and unmistakable species The 19 21 cm long adult has a black crown back eye mask and breast band The rest of the head is white The remaining upperpart plumage is blue grey and the underparts are orange The longish legs are blue grey In flight it is even more spectacular with the black crown and back contrasting with the grey of the upperparts and wings The flight feathers are brilliant white crossed by a black bar From below the flying bird is entirely white apart from the orange belly and black wing bar After landing members of a pair greet each other by raising their wings in an elaborate ceremony that shows off the black and white markings The sexes are similar but juveniles are duller and the black marking are intermixed with brown Habitat and range EditThe Egyptian plover is a localised resident in tropical sub Saharan Africa It breeds on sandbars in very large rivers Despite its vernacular and scientific names it is not present in modern day Egypt 1 However when it was described in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus the Egyptian state encompassed much of the territory that the bird is found in including Sudan Chad and Ethiopia 2 Behaviour EditThis usually very tame bird is found in pairs or small groups near water It feeds by pecking for insects The call is a high pitched krrr krrr krrr Due to how tame it is people often get closer than is safe Breeding Edit Its two or three eggs are not incubated but are buried in warm sand temperature control being achieved by the adult sitting on the eggs with a water soaked belly to cool them If the adult leaves the nest it smooths sand over the eggs though if it is frightened the job may be hasty The chicks are precocial and can run as soon as they are hatched and feed themselves shortly afterwards The adults cool the chicks in the same way as with the eggs The chicks may drink water from the adult s belly feathers The adults bury the chicks in the sand temporarily if danger threatens Supposed relationship with crocodiles Edit Further information Trochilus crocodile bird and Cleaning symbiosis The bird is sometimes referred to as the crocodile bird for its symbiotic relationship with crocodiles 3 According to Herodotus the crocodiles lie on the shore with their mouths open and a bird called trochilus flies into the crocodiles mouths so as to feed on decaying meat lodged between the crocodiles teeth 4 The identification of the trochilus with any particular plover is doubtful as is the cleaning symbiosis itself no known photographic evidence exists a b and the written accounts are considered suspect by the biologist Thomas Howell 7 Gallery Edit Notes Edit The image by Warren Photographic showing an Egyptian plover apparently inside the mouth of a Nile crocodile is stated on its website to be a digital reconstruction of the popular myth attributed to Herodotus 5th Century BC Africa 5 The short video showing seven Egyptian plovers cleaning the mouth of a crocodile is CGI from a bubble gum advertisement 6 References Edit a b BirdLife International 2016 Pluvianus aegyptius IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 e T22694086A93437931 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T22694086A93437931 en Retrieved 11 November 2021 Jane Hathaway 4 April 2002 The Politics of Households in Ottoman Egypt The Rise of the Qazdaglis Cambridge University Press p 9 ISBN 978 0 521 89294 0 Retrieved 10 June 2013 National Geographic Magazine 1986 The History of Herodotus Book II WP00955 Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus with Egyptian Plover or Crocodile Bird Pluvianus aegyptius Warren Photographic Retrieved 25 February 2015 WP00955 Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus with Egyptian Plover or Crocodile Bird Pluvianus aegyptius digital reconstruction of popular myth attributed to Herodotus 5th Century BC Africa Dentyne White Crocodile bird Retrieved 19 July 2019 Breeding Biology of the Egyptian Plover by Thomas R Howell General references Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pluvianus aegyptius Hayman Marchant and Prater Shorebirds ISBN 0 7099 2034 2 Richford Andrew S Christopher J Mead 2003 Pratincoles and Coursers In Christopher Perrins ed Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds Firefly Books pp 252 253 ISBN 1 55297 777 3 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Egyptian plover amp oldid 1124990153, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
