Eurasian Stone-curlew
Burhinus oedicnemus
Known colloquially as the 'goggle-eyed plover' due to its strikingly large yellow eyes, which are specially adapted for foraging in near-total darkness.
- Scientific name
- Burhinus oedicnemus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Burhinidae › Burhinus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Dry, open grasslands, heathlands, stony semi-deserts, and fallow agricultural fields with sparse vegetation.
- Diet
- Mainly invertebrates such as beetles, worms, and snails, but will also consume small lizards, frogs, and rodents.
- Range
- Southern Europe, North Africa, Southwestern Asia, United Kingdom
- Size
- Wingspan of 77-88 cm, length of 38-46 cm, weight of 290-535 g.
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to intensive agricultural practices, changes in land management, and ground-nest predation by foxes and crows.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and extremely shy. If encountered, maintain a safe distance of at least 100 meters to avoid disturbing nesting or roosting birds, as they rely heavily on camouflage to protect their ground nests. Do not approach or attempt to handle. If you find an injured bird, contact local wildlife authorities.
The Eurasian stone curlew , Eurasian thick-knee , or simply stone-curlew ( Burhinus oedicnemus ) is a northern species of the Burhinidae (stone-curlew) bird family.
Photo: Kudaibergen Amirekul, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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