Crab plover, Dromadidae
The crab-plover or crab plover (Dromas ardeola) is a bird related to the waders, but sufficiently distinctive to merit its own family Dromadidae. Its relationship within the Charadriiformes is unclear, some have considered it to be closely related to the thick-knees, or the pratincoles, while others have considered it closer to the auks and gulls. It is the only member of the genus Dromas and is unique among waders in making use of ground warmth to aid incubation of the eggs.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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Wading birdsWading birds forage along shorelines and mudflats searching for small aquatic prey crawling or burrowing in the mud and sand. These birds live in w...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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SocialFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe Crab-plover is the only member of its genus and is unique among waders in making use of ground warmth to aid incubation of the eggs. This bird resembles a plover but has very long grey legs and a strong heavy black bill similar to a tern. Its black-and-white plumage and long-necked upright posture with heavy bill make it distinctive and unmistakable. Its bill is unique among waders and specialized for eating crabs. It has partially webbed toes. The plumage is white except for black on its back and in the primary feathers of the wings.
Crab-plovers are residents on the coasts and islands of the Indian Ocean. They breed around the Arabian Sea of Pakistan, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Somalia in the months of April to July then disperse across the Indian Ocean in August as far as the Andaman Islands and Sri Lanka in the east and Tanzania and Madagascar. These birds inhabit sandy coastlines, mudflats, estuaries, lagoons, exposed coral reefs, and rocky shorelines. During the breeding season, they can also be found in sand dunes.
Crab-plovers are gregarious birds. They feed in large groups at night and during dawn and dusk as well as during the day; this crepuscular and nocturnal behavior is more common during the breeding season. Crab-plovers feed by wading in shallow water picking and probing with their long bills in search of prey. They are strong flyers and flocks usually fly in lines or "V" formations. They are very noisy birds, calling frequently on their breeding sites and on their wintering grounds. The usual call is a 'ka' similar to that of the bar-tailed godwit but repeated rapidly. Flocks may produce a whinnying sound that rises and at in the breeding season produce whistling 'kew-ki-ki' notes.
Crab-plovers are carnivores. They feed mainly on crabs and other small animals such as crustaceans, small mollusks, marine worms, and intertidal invertebrates.
Crab-plovers are monogamous breeders and both the male and the female have only one partner. In the Red Sea region, the breeding season usually begins around the middle of May. Crab-plovers are colonial breeders and nest in colonies as large 1500 pairs. Unusual for waders, they nest in burrows in sandy banks. Females lay one white egg, occasionally two in the burrow where the temperature is optimal due to solar radiation and this allows the parents to leave the nest unattended for as long as 58 hours. The incubation period usually lasts 32 to 33 days. The chicks are born helpless; they are unable to walk and remain in the nest for several days after hatching, having food brought to them. Even once they fledge they have a long period of parental care afterward. Both males and females take care of their young.
Crab-plovers are not considered to be globally threatened. Nevertheless, locally, these birds suffer from oil spills, the introduction of nest predators, a decrease of nesting habitat, coastal development, and the collection of eggs.
According to the Wildscreen Arkive resource the total population size of the Crab-plover is around 60,000-80,000 birds. Overall, currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today remain stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...