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 winter they migrate to northern Australia, New Guinea, Java, Sulawesi and southern Borneo to over-winter . Although they are common, their occurrence is unpredictable and varies in location. The Australian pratincole belongs to the family Glareolidae. It is monotypic within the genus "Stiltia". Pratincole, Arnhem Land grouse, Australian courser, roadrunner, nankeen plover, swallow-plover. The Australian pratincole is a medium-sized slender shorebird with long legs, long pointed wings and a short decurved bill. It is 19–24 cm long, has a wingspan of 50–60 cm and weighs 55-75grams. The sexes look alike however their breeding and non-breeding plumage differs. Breeding plumage –