Double-striped thick-knee
The double-striped thick-knee ("Burhinus bistriatus") is a stone-curlew, a group of waders in the family Burhinidae. The vernacular name refers to the prominent joints in the long greenish-grey legs, and "bistriatus" to the two stripes of the head pattern. Taxonomy. The double-striped thick-knee was formally described in 1829 by the German naturalist Johann Georg Wagler from a specimen collected in Mexico. He coined the binomial name "Charadrius bistriatus". The specific epithet "biscutatus" combines the Latin "bi-" meaning "two-" or "double-" with "scutatus" meaning "armed with a shield" ("scutum" was an  oblong shield). The double-striped thick-knee is now placed in the genus "Burhinus" that was erected by the German zoologist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1811. Four subspecies are recognised: Description. The double-striped thick-knee is a medium-large wader with a strong black and yellow bill, large yellow eyes, which give it a reptilian appearance, and cryptic plumage. The adult is about long and weighs about . It has finely streaked grey-brown upperparts, and a paler brown neck and breast merging into the white belly. The head has a strong white supercilium bordered above by a black  stripe. Juveniles are similar to adults, but have slightly darker brown upperparts and a whitish nape. The double-striped thick-knee is striking in flight, with a white patch on the dark upperwing, and a white underwing with a black rear edge. The four subspecies differ in size and plumage tone, but individual variation makes identification of races difficult. Distribution and habitat. It is a resident breeder in Central and South America from southern Mexico south to Colombia, Venezuela and northern Brazil. It also occurs on Hispaniola and some of the Venezuelan islands, and is a very rare vagrant to  Trinidad, Curaçao and the USA. It prefers arid grassland, savanna, and other dry, open habitats. Behaviour. This is a largely nocturnal and crepuscular species. It flies only reluctantly, relying on crouching and camouflage for concealment. The double-striped thick-knee eats large insects and other small vertebrate and invertebrate prey. It is sometimes semi-domesticated because of its useful function in controlling insects, and has benefited from the clearing of woodlands to create pasture. The song, given at night, is a loud "kee-kee-kee". Breeding. The nest is a bare scrape into which two olive-brown eggs are laid  and incubated by both adults for 25–27 days to hatching. The downy young are precocial and soon leave the nest.