Small pratincole pratincole can be briefly confused in flight with swifts or swallows. This bird has short legs, long pointed wings and a short tail. Its short bill is an adaptation to aerial feeding. On the ground, it looks mainly pale grey (hence "lactea", milky). The crown of the head is brown. The wings are grey above with black primaries and black and white bars at the rear edge of the inner flight feathers. The underwings are mainly black. The tail is white with a black terminal triangle. The belly is white. The most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although
Collared pratincole to aerial feeding. The back and head are brown, and the wings are brown with darker flight feathers. The belly is white. The underwings are chestnut, but look dark below. Very good views are needed to distinguish this species from other pratincoles, such as the black-winged pratincole and the oriental pratincole, which may occur in its range. The latter species also has a chestnut underwing, but is shorter-tailed. The collared pratincole is divided into two subspecies: Pratincoles are unusual among waders in that they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on