Oriental Pratincole at Jæren

Last evening I left Bergen, and drove through the night to Jæren. Jæren is a coastal wetland system heavlily affected by agriculture in western Norway. I was about to use four days to look for and at breeing Black-tailed Godwits, but was rather unprepaired and ignorant in checking out what other species was around in this epic birding area at the time. At arrival at Jæren just after dawn I started in an area with recent activity of godwits near Orre kirke. A couple called when I arrived, and another mature bird was also present in the area. The farmers had just started moving the grass on the fields, and birds were probably moving around. I did not see any chicks. But an unfamiliar shape flew passed me in a hurry, and I managed to convince myself it was one of the Pratincoles.

A few more and better views, including some bad quality shots, I concluded it had to be a Common Pratincole. I called the main godwit contact at Jæren, Kjell, and told him what I had just seen. He was pretty relaxed when I broke the news, and replied rather bored back - An Oriental Pratincole has been at Jæren the past week. It is probably that one. Of course it had to be the one, an Oriental Pratincole! Getting a few more views and shots, and after checking a bit litterature it was rather "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.

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.