Spotted Thick Knee (7513798684)

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Description: Spotted Thick Knee , Masai Mara. These birds have such terrific camouflage that it took a full two minutes for my ageing eyes to lock on them, after my driver guide pointed them out to me. The Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis), also known as the Spotted Dikkop or Cape Thick-knee, is a stone-curlew in the family Burhinidae. The bird can reach up to 18 inches in height, has long legs and a brown-and-white speckled coat. It ranges widely through sub-Saharan Africa, where it occupies dry grasslands and savannas. The spotted dikkop's brown, spotted feathers provide camouflage, making it difficult to spot in the grasslands where it lives. The species hunts exclusively on the ground, feeding on insects, small mammals and lizards. It also nests on the ground, lining a scrape with grasses, feathers, pebbles and twigs. The female typically lays two eggs, and males and females rear offspring together, with both bringing food back to the nest. The birds will even fake injuries to lead predators away from the nest. (Oct/ Nov. 2010). Date: 1 November 2010, 00:00. Source: Spotted Thick Knee. Author: shankar s. from Dubai, united arab emirates.