A WADER that doesn’t wader, with bulging eyes and bulbous knee joints (actually raised ankle joints). That is one description of the stone curlew. Its scientific name, Burhinus oedicnemus, is not complimentary either. It translates roughly as “ox-headed thick shin”! Sounds like a term of abuse shouted from the football terraces… Yet the bird is not as strange-looking as that might suggest. It’s a long-legged wader with “tousled” plumage. Its most notable features are its large, striking, gold-coloured eyes, which are emphasised by white facial markings.
When foraging and pecking at food, it moves like a heron, aiming its beak slowly before the stab. During the day it seeks out shade and sometimes remains in the same position for hours. It may assume an upright stance similar to that of a bustard. The species of, meaning “large head”.
