Oriental Pratincole at Jæren

Last evening I left Bergen and drove through the night to Jæren. It is a coastal wetland system in western Norway, heavily shaped by agriculture. I had planned to spend four days searching for and observing breeding Black‑tailed Godwits, but I hadn’t really prepared much for what random visitors that might be around in this legendary birding area right now.

Arriving just after dawn, I started near Orre church, where godwits had recently been active. A pair called as I stepped out of the car, and another adult was feeding nearby. Farmers had just begun cutting the fields, so the birds were clearly a bit stressed. I didn’t see any chicks, but suddenly an unfamiliar shape shot past me. In that brief moment I managed to convince myself it had to be one of the pratincoles.

After a few more views, and some poor but useful photos showing the underwing, I concluded it must be a Collared Pratincole. I called Kjell, my main godwit contact at Jæren, to share the news. He responded with almost comical calm: “An Oriental Pratincole has been here the past weeks. It’s probably that one.” Of course it had to be. An Oriental Pratincole!

With a few more views, some additional photos, and a quick check of the literature, the identification became more obvious.

Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum, Jæren 7 June 2021.

The orange‑red underwing coverts resemble Collared Pratincole, but the secondaries have a distinct dark trailing edge, lacking Collared’s white trailing edge and paler panel on the outer secondaries. Oriental Pratincoles have short tail streamers. They give the bird a noticeably dumpier flight profile than the other two species that have longer streamers.

Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum, Jæren 7 June 2021.

Oriental Pratincole is a true rarity in Norway, with only three previous records. The first was as recent as in August 2009.

Post update: The bird stayed at Jæren for another 14 days. The same individual, identified by damages in its primaries, was later seen in the Wadden Sea in Denmark and Germany from 4 July to 18 October.

Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum, Jæren 7 June 2021.