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
Australian pratincole the bill. The chicks then run out to be fed, probably in response to calls by the parents. The Australian Practincole has a repertoire of displays to distract threats, including; The Australian pratincole are known to call during summer thunderstorms. The calls are sweet or plaintive whistles or very soft and muted, trills and loud sharp notes. No differences in calls between males and females have been identified. Four different types of calls have been clearly identified; Flight call- sweet whistling upslurred 'weeteet' or 'quirriepeet'. Calls are usually a series of 3-4 rapid repeated notes and varying in length with