Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum, is a winter visitor form the North, a passage visitor and also migrant breeder. They are gregarious birds, often forming large flocks, largely crepuscular (active at twilight), feeds by running and lunging after insects on ground.
In April 1981, large number were found in Tampasuk plain, several nests were found near birds that were hesitant to fly, each nest usually containing one brown-blotched egg and a downny young which tried to scurry off. However, in 1982, only few birds were present and no nest was found.
Thousands of Pratincoles were observed on Tampasuk plain on 9th March 1983 (Western Foundation of Vetebrate Zoology)
In 1987 and 1988 they were reported to try to breed and raise young in Brunei. There were at least 62 at Kota Belud in Jun 1998 but no nest was found. Smythies concluded that there might be a spread of breeding population that appeared to migrate away from breeding site or out of Borneo.
This single bird in breeding plumage was photographed in Tawau in February, first record from the East Coast of Sabah, perched on a freshly plowed field used for open pit sand mining. My number 309 wild bird of Borneo.
Oriental Pratincole
Happy birding.
Enjoyed reading your input and pictures. Thank you
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