Australian pratincole the tone rising then falling rapidly. Far-contact call- plaintive down-slurred 'tuwhee'. This call is used between mates from the ground near nest and also used to call chicks. Greeting call- gently trilled 'pree' or short phrase 'pree-pree-pippip-pip' which is used during courtship display and when flying to mate. Alarm call- loud sharp notes in increasing intensity 'WIT-itit', 'Weetle-itit' and 'wee-WIT-ititit'. Accompanied at times by distraction displays. Australian pratincole The Australian pratincole ("Stiltia isabella") is a species of bird in the family Glareolidae. It breeds in Australia's interior; it winters to northern and eastern parts of the island, Indonesia and New
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