LC
Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus



Taxonomy

Taxonomic note
Burhinus oedicnemus and B. indicus (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) was previously lumped as B. oedicnemus following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993).

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2018 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2014 Least Concern
2012 Not Recognised
2008 Not Recognised
2004 Not Recognised
2000 Not Recognised
1994 Not Recognised
1988 Not Recognised
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass 459 g
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 27,000,000 km2 medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 28,700,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 360000-589999 mature individuals poor estimated 2012
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 10.5 years - - -

Population justification: The European population is estimated at 53,400-88,200 pairs, which equates to 107,000-176,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). The global population has not been estimated following recent taxonomic splits. However Europe forms approximately 30% of the global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is 360,000-590,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is needed.

Trend justification: The overall population trend is decreasing, although some populations have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2015). In Europe, trends show that in the short-term (1998-2013 and 2000-2012 respectively) the population was stable (EBCC 2015) or increasing (BirdLife International 2015).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Afghanistan extant native yes yes
Albania extant native yes
Algeria extant native yes yes
Armenia extant native yes
Austria extant native yes
Azerbaijan extant native yes
Belarus extant native yes
Belgium extant vagrant
Bosnia and Herzegovina extant native yes
Bulgaria extant native yes yes
China (mainland) extant native yes
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant vagrant
Croatia extant native yes
Cyprus extant native yes
Czechia extant native yes
Denmark extant vagrant
Djibouti extant native yes
Egypt extant native yes yes
Eritrea extant native yes
Estonia extant vagrant
Ethiopia extant native yes
Finland extant vagrant
France extant native yes
Georgia extant native yes
Germany presence uncertain native yes
Gibraltar (to UK) extant native yes
Greece extant native yes
Hungary extant native yes
Iceland extant vagrant
Iran, Islamic Republic of extant native yes yes
Iraq extant native yes yes
Ireland extant vagrant
Israel extant native yes
Italy extant native yes yes yes
Jordan extant native yes yes
Kazakhstan extant native yes
Kenya extant native yes
Kuwait presence uncertain uncertain
Kyrgyzstan extant native yes
Lebanon extant native yes
Libya extant native yes yes
Liechtenstein extant vagrant
Lithuania extant native yes
Luxembourg extant vagrant
Mali extant native yes
Malta presence uncertain uncertain
Mauritania extant native yes
Moldova extant native yes
Montenegro extant native yes
Morocco extant native yes yes
Netherlands extant vagrant
Niger extant native yes
Nigeria extant vagrant
North Macedonia extant native yes
Norway extant vagrant
Oman extant native yes yes
Pakistan extant native yes
Palestine extant native yes
Poland extant native yes
Portugal extant native yes
Qatar extant native yes
Romania extant native yes
Russia extant native yes
Russia (Central Asian) extant vagrant
Russia (European) extant native yes
Saudi Arabia extant native yes yes
Senegal extant native yes
Serbia extant native yes
Sierra Leone extant vagrant
Slovakia extant native yes
Slovenia extinct native yes
Somalia extant native yes
Spain extant native yes yes yes
Sudan extant native yes yes
Sweden extant vagrant
Switzerland presence uncertain uncertain
Syria extant native yes yes
Tajikistan extant native yes
Tunisia extant native yes yes
Türkiye extant native yes
Turkmenistan extant native yes
Uganda extant native yes
Ukraine extant native yes
United Arab Emirates extant native yes yes
United Kingdom extant native yes
Uzbekistan extant native yes
Western Sahara extant native yes yes
Yemen extant native yes yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Austria Central Marchfeld
Austria Steinfeld
Bulgaria Arda Bridge
Bulgaria Kaliakra
Bulgaria Rayanovtsi
Bulgaria Sakar
Bulgaria Straldzha Complex
Bulgaria Studen Kladenets
Bulgaria Western Strandzha
Croatia Kvarner Islands
Croatia NW Dalmatia and Pag Island
Cyprus Karpasia Peninsula - Kleides Islands
Cyprus Koshi-Pallourokampos and Troulloi Plain
Cyprus Mesaoria Plain
Cyprus Pafos Plain
Cyprus Xeros Valley and Hanoutaris Cliffs
France Basse Vallée du Doubs : Dole Sud
France Boucle de Moisson
France Boucle de Pose et de Muids
France Brenne centrale
France Crau
France Gorges de la Dourbie et causses avoisinants
France Mars sur Allier
France Massif du Petit Lubéron
France Parc National des Cévennes
France Petite Beauce
France Plaine calcaire du sud Vendée
France Plaine de Niort (nord-ouest)
France Plaine de Niort (sud-est)
France Plaine de Villefagnan
France Plaine du Forez
France Plaines de Mirebeau et de Neuville-du-Poitou
France Plaines de Saint-Jouin de Marne et d'Assais-les-Jumeaux
France Plateau de Valensole
France Sologne Bourbonnaise
France Val d'Allier : Saint-Yorre-Joze
France Val d'Allier Bourbonnais
France Vallée de l'Aube, de la Superbe et Marigny
France Vallée de la Conie et Beauce centrale
France Vallée de la Loire : La Charité-sur-Loire
France Zones agricoles de la Hardt
Germany Döberitzer Heide
Germany Military training area east and west of Jüterbog
Greece Amvrakikos gulf
Greece Lake Ismarida (Mitrikou)
Greece Lakes Chortarolimni and Alyki, Moudros gulf, Diapori fen and Fakos peninsula, Limnos
Greece Mesolongi and Aitoliko lagoons, Acheloos delta and Evinos estuary
Greece Mount Falakro
Greece Nestos delta and coastal lagoons
Greece Porto Lagos, lake Vistonida and coastal lagoons
Hungary Alkaline lakes of Kiskunság
Hungary Alkaline pusztas of Upper Kiskunság
Hungary Cserebökény Pusztas of Szentes
Hungary Gerje-sik
Hungary Heves Plain
Italy Albegna river valley
Italy Alto Ionio Cosentino
Italy Altopiano di Abbasanta
Italy Altopiano di Campeda
Italy Biviere and Plain of Gela
Italy Campo d'Ozieri
Italy Central Campidano
Italy Crete Senesi
Italy Gargano Promontory and Capitanata Wetlands
Italy Gravine
Italy Lake Bracciano and Tolfa hills
Italy Magredi of Pordenone
Italy Murge
Italy Palmas Gulf wetlands
Italy Pantani di Vendicari e di Capo Passero
Italy River Cecina middle valley
Italy River Po from Dora Baltea mouth to Scrivia mouth
Italy Taro river
Montenegro Bojana Delta
Montenegro Cemovsko polje
Montenegro Ulcinj saltpans
North Macedonia Pelagonia
North Macedonia River Topolka-river Babuna-river Bregalnica
North Macedonia River Zletovska valley
Portugal Albufeira do Caia
Portugal Alter do Chão
Portugal Campo Maior
Portugal Castro Marim
Portugal Castro Verde plains
Portugal Côa valley
Portugal Mourão, Moura e Barrancos
Portugal Serra de Penha Garcia e Campina de Toulões
Portugal Vila Fernando
Romania Aliman - Adamclisi
Romania Beştepe - Mahmudia
Romania Danube Delta
Romania Dealurile Dorobanţu
Romania Dobrogei gorge
Romania Dunăre - Canarale - Hârşova
Romania Hagieni forest
Romania Măcin - Niculiţel
Romania Olt valley
Romania Stepa Casimcea
Russia (European) Archedinskiye sands
Russia (European) Sostinskiye lakes
Russia (European) Tsimlyanskiye sands
Serbia Pašnjaci Velike Droplje
Serbia Subotica lakes and sandy terrain
Spain Altos de Barahona high moor
Spain Belchite-Mediana
Spain Bienvenida-Usagre-Ribera del Fresno
Spain Blancas-Torralba de los Sisones
Spain Brozas-Membrío
Spain Carrión-Frómista
Spain Cerrato high moor
Spain Cogul-Alfés steppes
Spain Córdoba countryside
Spain Cuchillete de Buenavista-gully of La Torre-Los Alares
Spain El Médano coast
Spain El Valle, Altaona and Escalona mountains
Spain Famara sandy plain
Spain Fuente de Cantos-Montemolín
Spain Guadalentín saltmarshes
Spain Gully of Ajuí-Betancuria
Spain Hoya de Baza
Spain Hoya de Guadix
Spain Isla Cristina and Ayamonte marshes and Prado lagoon
Spain Isthmus of Jandía sandy plain
Spain La Limia
Spain La Serena
Spain Lajares sandy plain-Cotillo-Ezquinzo
Spain Lerida steppes
Spain Llano Grande - Malpaís Grande - Malpaís Chico
Spain Monegrillo-Pina steppe area-Pina
Spain Plain between Cáceres and Trujillo-Aldea del Cano
Spain Plains of La Corona-Las Honduras
Spain Puebla de Don Fadrique-Las Cañadas
Spain Quipar reservoir, Molino mountain range and Cagitán plains
Spain Sandy plain of Corralejo
Spain Tabernas desert
Spain Tierra de Campiñas steppes
Spain Tierra de Campos steppes
Türkiye Gediz Delta
Türkiye Göksu Delta
Türkiye Kızılırmak Delta
Türkiye Seyhan Delta
United Kingdom Breckland
United Kingdom Porton Down
United Kingdom Salisbury Plain

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable breeding
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Grassland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Grassland Temperate suitable non-breeding
Grassland Temperate suitable breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Subtropical/Tropical Dry suitable breeding
Shrubland Temperate suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Temperate suitable breeding
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Food - human subsistence, national
Food - human subsistence, national
Pets/display animals, horticulture international
Pets/display animals, horticulture international
Sport hunting/specimen collecting subsistence, national
Sport hunting/specimen collecting subsistence, national

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/eurasian-thick-knee-burhinus-oedicnemus on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.