Spotted thick-knee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spotted thick-knee |
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| Conservation status | |
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Burhinus
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| Species: |
capensis
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The spotted thick-knee (Burhinus capensis) is a cool bird that lives in parts of Africa. It's also known as the spotted dikkop or Cape thick-knee. This bird is a type of wader, which means it often lives near water, though it prefers dry grasslands. It belongs to the Burhinidae family.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The spotted thick-knee can grow to be about 45.5 centimeters (18 inches) tall. It has long legs and feathers that are speckled brown and white. This special pattern helps it blend in with its surroundings, like a natural camouflage. This makes it super hard to spot in the grasslands and savannas where it lives.
Its head is large and round, and it has a big, bright yellow eye. Its beak is short and strong. When the bird flies or stands with its wings up, you can see a cool pattern of colors. Its legs are long and yellow. The name "thick-knee" comes from its leg joint, which looks a bit bigger than usual.
How Does It Behave?
The spotted thick-knee is a night owl! It's nocturnal, meaning it's active mostly at night. During the day, it usually squats down on the ground. This makes it even harder to see.
This bird is a ground hunter. It looks for its food on the ground. It loves to eat insects, small mammals, and lizards.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Spotted thick-knees build their nests right on the ground. They make a small hollow space and line it with things like grass, feathers, tiny pebbles, and twigs.
The female usually lays two eggs. Both the male and female parents work together to raise their young. They both bring food back to the nest for their chicks.
These birds are very protective of their nests. If something gets too close, they will defend it! They might spread their wings and cock their tail to look bigger and scarier. They might even peck at an intruder. Sometimes, they'll even pretend to be hurt to trick predators and lead them away from the nest.
Where Does It Live?
The spotted thick-knee lives in the grasslands and savannas of Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. You can find it in countries like Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania in the west. It also lives in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa in the east and south. You can even find it in southern Yemen.
Its Status
Good news! The spotted thick-knee lives in a very large area, and there are lots of them. Their numbers seem to be steady. Because of this, the IUCN (which is a group that checks on animals) says it's a species of "Least Concern". This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.
Images for kids
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A five day old chick -
Adult's defensive pose -
Scanning the sky for raptors -
Cooling down by panting
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