Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spotted Thick-knee
Burhinus capensis
Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis) is a member of the Burhinidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 423 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Burhinidae Stone-curlews, Thick-knees
- Genus Burhinus
- Species capensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 423 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Burhinidae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spotted Thick-knee is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Spotted Thick-knee is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis) is a member of the Burhinidae family, within the order Charadriiformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF s Arabian Pen.; widespread, inland Sub-Saharan Africa.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 423 g, with a wing length of about 22.5 cm and a tail of around 11.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 12.4 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spotted Thick-knee?
The Spotted Thick-knee is a large bird that weighs around 423 g.
Where does the Spotted Thick-knee live?
The Spotted Thick-knee is found across Africa with a range covering AF s Arabian Pen.; widespread, inland Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Spotted Thick-knee belong to?
The Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis) belongs to the Burhinidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Spotted Thick-knee eat?
The Spotted Thick-knee is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spotted Thick-knee migrate?
The Spotted Thick-knee is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spotted Thick-knee endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Spotted Thick-knee make?
1 real field recording of the Spotted Thick-knee — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Spotted Thick-knee's range?
The Spotted Thick-knee has a mapped global range of about 12.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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