Observations on copulating Crab 
Plovers Dromas ardeola in Kuwait 
B. K. Wright 
On 14th March 1994, 1 was fortunate to witness what seemed to be the 
courtship behaviour of Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola). I have been 
watching and counting roosting Crab Plovers at Doha, Kuwait, 
Arabian Gulf, regularly since 1992. 
The section on social pattern and behaviour (Cramp and Simmons 
1983) states " studied in winter quarters, Aldabra [M. J. Penny] little 
known otherwise". 
Adult Crab Plovers were seen along the shoreline, widely spread, but 
occasionally in concentrated flocks of up to forty, especially at one 
high tide. Other species present and mixed with the flocks included 
Curlew Numenius arquata, Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolicus 
and Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans. 
One pair of Crab Plovers began to walk side by side with an exagger- 
ated upright stance. One bird (sex uncertain at this stage) would jump 
up into the air, making an abrupt arc flight. On landing, uttering the 
typical ki-ki-kew-ki kee notes, the bird 
would initiate a short forward run 
to be joined by another bird in a dis- 
tinct strut walk with both birds 
walking side by side in tandem (see 
fig 1). Whilst walking in this man- 
ner, the pair would pass through 
the main group and emerge only to 
be followed by other Crab Plovers 
and the group would often con- 
verge and crowd together, some- 
times using wings and bills to effect Figure 1 * * 3 
contact. Strutting in tandem 
Once separated the pair made contact with their bills as if trying to 
solicit food (see fig 2). The group interaction caused much excitement 
within the flocks, with most birds uttering the call notes previously 
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