Crab-plover

The crab-plover is a coastal wader and the only member of its genus and family. It resembles a plover but has very long bluish-grey legs, partly webbed toes and a strong, heavy black bill specialised for eating crabs. Its plumage is white except for black on the back and primaries, recalling a pied avocet, and it stands upright on a long neck. Breeding birds have a white head with a small black eye patch; in winter the head is streaked grey. Juveniles have a grey mantle for about a year (Wikipedia, general species account).

It lives on the coasts and islands of the Indian Ocean and breeds around the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Somalia from April to July before dispersing. It is gregarious, feeding in large groups by day and also at dusk and at night. It is noisy, with a rapidly repeated ka call, and flocks fly in lines or V formations. It is unique among waders in using warmth from the ground to help incubate its eggs. SoIB 2023 lists it as a winter migrant in India with a restricted range, has too little data for a trend and rates it a Moderate conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).