© GW - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013

Bird name: Senegal Thick Knee
Latin: Burhinus senegalensis
Other: Œdicnème du Sénégal (Fr), Senegaltriel (De), Occhione del Senegal (It),
Family: Burhinidae - Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa, N of equator, incl Gambia etc
Similar: Water Thick-knee, Stone Curlew

We saw Senegal Thick-knee fairly regularly near water in Gambia in February. Beside the Gambia River at Janjanbureh, at the beach at Tujereng, by a pond beside the main coastal, or near the creek at Marakissa River Camp.

They have a curious habit of stopping walking and holding one leg bent in the air. Dark black line at bottom of closed wing.



Senegal Thick-knee on beach, Gambia 2013.


Senegal Thick-knee with “legs bent forward”, Gambia 2013.
More photos...

© André S - monacoeye • All rights reserved • Oct 2009

Bird name: Water Thick Knee
Latin: Burhinus vermiculatus
Other:
Family: Burhinidae - Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
Range:
Similar: Senegal Thick-knee

You can hardly blame André for not wishing to get any closer to this Water Thick-Knee on the banks of the Serengeti River!

Water Thick-knees tend to live by the side of lakes and rivers, throughout sub-Saharan Africa.More photos...

051 Burhinidae - Stone-curlews, Thick-knees - IOC 2.5 - 2010

Burhinus oedicnemus - Eurasian Stone-curlew - W, SW Europe
Burhinus indicus - Indian Stone-curlew - Indian subcontinent to SE Asia - Split from Burhinus oedicnemus
Burhinus senegalensis - Senegal Thick-knee - E, C, W
Burhinus vermiculatus - Water Thick-knee - SE, SC Africa
Burhinus capensis - Spotted Thick-knee - Widespread Africa
Burhinus bistriatus - Double-striped Thick-knee - S Mexico to N Brazil, Latin America, also Hispaniola
Burhinus superciliaris - Peruvian Thick-knee - S Ecuador to S Peru
Burhinus grallarius - Bush Stone-curlew - Australia

Esacus recurvirostris - Great Stone-curlew - SE Iran through Southeast Asia
Esacus magnirostris - Beach Stone-curlew - Malay Peninsula & Philippines to N Australia - Was neglectus