black crown, breast band, facial stripe extending to back (Zoo; 2008-11-30)
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Egyptian Plover
Pluvianus aegyptius
Native Range:
Africa
Notes:
striking and unmistakable; a famous bird in mythology for its supposed symbiotic relationship with crocodiles; according to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, this bird cleans the teeth of crocodiles as the latter lie along banks of the Nile with their mouths wide open; sadly, however, there is no solid evidence for this storied symbiotic relationship, so it is probably just a myth; this species breeds on sandbars of rivers in sub-Saharan Africa; little sexual dimorphism.
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