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How do pratincoles catch flying insects?

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Illustration of a crab plover (Dromas ardeola), showing a slender wading bird with long legs, a long pointed black bill, white head and underparts, and contrasting black wings and back. — Charadriiform Crab plover (Dromas ardeola)

Pratincoles catch flying insects by hawking them on the wing, a method similar to that used by swallows. These birds are active insectivores that typically feed at twilight, flying over lakes and rivers to capture their prey.12