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A single egg is laid just above the high tide line on the open beach. | A single egg is laid just above the high tide line on the open beach. | ||
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[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Burhinus]] | [[Category:Birds]][[Category:Burhinus]] | ||
Revision as of 18:22, 18 January 2009
- Burhinus giganteus
Identification
A large, rather ungainly bird with an outsized beak, it could be mistaken at first glance for a heron species. The only other thick-knee or stone-curlew to occur in Australia is the bush thick-knee which is more generally brownish, and is not confined to the coasts.
This large wading bird is endangered.
Distribution
Coastal Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Taxonomy
A monotypic species.
Esacus vs. Burhinus
Some authorities (Clements 2010) place Great Stone-curlew (recurvirostris) and Beach Stone-curlew (magnirostris) in the genus Burhinus. However, Howard & Moore (2003) and Gill & Donsker (2010) place these species in Esacus.
Habitat
Open beaches, exposed reefs, mangroves, and tidal sand or mudflats.
Behaviour
A single egg is laid just above the high tide line on the open beach.
