Coursers and Pratincoles (Glareolidae)

Egyptian Plover (Pluvianus aegyptius) - HBW 3, p. 377

French: Pluvian fluviatile German: Krokodilwächter Spanish: Pluvial
Other common names: Crocodile-bird, Crocodile-plover, Egyptian Courser

Taxonomy: Charadrius ægyptius Linnaeus, 1758, Egypt.
Affinities uncertain: sometimes placed in its own family (Pluvianidae), or subfamily (Pluvianinae), or regarded as closer to subfamily Glareolinae. Birds from N Angola and Zaire somewhat smaller, sometimes regarded as race angolae, but variation is clinal and this form poorly defined, so not normally recognized as separate race. Monotypic.

Distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia, S to N Zaire and Uganda and narrowly into the lower basin of R Congo (Zaire) and extreme N Angola; formerly N along R Nile into Egypt, where now extinct.