BIRDS OF THE OPEN FOREST 
61 
Parasitic —recorded foster-parents number five species, chiefly 
Currawongs and Crows. 
Egg .—Dull white to pale yellowish-brown, spotted and blotched, par¬ 
ticularly at the larger end, with brown and lavender. Breeding-season: 
October to December or January (south-eastern Australia). 
12. Stone-curlew Burhinus magnirostris Latham 
Bu-rhin’-us —Gk, bu ( bolt ), big; Gk, rhynchos (rhugchos), beak: mag-ni- 
ros'-tris —L., magnus, great; L., rostrum, bill. 
Distribution .—Australia generally, accidental to Tasmania. 
Notes .—Also called Stone-plover, Curlew, Thick-knee, Scrub Curlew, 
and Willaroo. Usually in pairs, frequenting open forest country, and 
plains intersected with belts of timber. Generally it is shy and cautious, 
and when disturbed, flies off as an intruder approaches. Occasionally it 
will remain quite stationary, either in an upright position, or else crouched 
near the ground, relying on its protective coloration to help it escape being 
detected. Its familiar call, “Ker-loo” or “Koo-loo,” is weird and melan¬ 
choly, and is mostly uttered after nightfall, when the bird is dancing, 
especially on moonlight nights. Food: insects and their larvae. 
Nest.— None, the eggs being deposited in a slight depression in the 
grass or on the bare ground. 
Eggs .—Usually two, varying greatly in the ground-colour; typical 
eggs are light yellowish-stone or yellowish-grey, more or less obscured 
with spots and blotches of light brown, dull umber, and some underlying 
markings of inky-grey. Breeding-season: August to January. 
F 
