Oriental Pratincole

Oriental Pratincole in flight over Makardokda Lake
Oriental Pratincole in flight over Makardokda Lake

The Oriental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum), also known as the Grasshopper-Bird or Swallow-Plover is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.

Their most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.