Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 191 & 222-223.

Order : , Gulls and Terns The family sequence of Christidis & Boles (1994), who adopted that of Sibley et al. (1988) and Sibley & Monroe (1990), is followed here.

Family Brehm: and Subfamily GLAREOLINAE Brehm: Pratincoles Glareolidae Brehm, 1831: Handb. Naturgesch. Vög. Deutschl.: 564 – Type Brisson, 1760.

Genus Glareola Brisson Glareola Brisson, 1760: Ornithologie 1: 48, 5: 141 – Type species (by tautonymy) Hirundo pratincola Linnaeus = Glareola pratincola (Linnaeus). Stiltia G.R. Gray, 1855: Cat. Genera Subgen. Birds Brit. Mus.: 111 – Type species (by original designation) Glareola isabella Vieillot.

Glareola maldivarum J.R. Forster Oriental Glareola (Pratincola) maldivarum J.R. Forster, 1795: Faunula Indica, 2nd edition: 11 – open sea near the Maldive Islands, northern Indian Ocean. Glareola orientalis Leach, 1821: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 13(1): 132 – Java, Indonesia. Glareola grallaria; Buller 1899, Trans. N.Z. Inst. 31: 23. Not Glareola grallaria Temminck, 1820 = Glareola isabella Vieillot, 1816. Stiltia isabella; Buller 1905, Suppl. Birds N.Z. 1: 192. Not Glareola isabella Vieillot, 1816. Glareola maldivarum maldivarum J.R. Forster; Mathews 1927, Syst. Avium Australasianarum 1: 185. Glareola maldivarum orientalis Leach; Mathews 1927, Syst. Avium Australasianarum 1: 185. Glareola maldivarum J.R. Forster; Checklist Committee 1970, Annot. Checklist Birds N.Z.: 52.

Breeds in south Asia from Pakistan and India to Mongolia, China, Taiwan, and north Philippines. Almost entire migratory population may spend non-breeding season in Australia (Sitters et al. 2004). A rare visitor to New Zealand. Ten records: Westport 1898 (Falla 1959); Appleby, Nelson 1959 (Falla 1959); Port Adventure, Stewart Island / Rakiura 1963 (Falla 1963a); Wainono Lagoon 1977 (Pierce 1978); South Turnbull 1977 (Edgar 1977); Kaipara Harbour 1985 (Howell 1987); Ruapuke Island 1988 (O’Donnell & West 1989); Farewell Spit 1994 (Medway 2000a); New Plymouth 1999 (Medway 2000a); Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora) 2002 (Medway 2002e). One record (1988) from Norfolk Island (Moore 1999), and one record (1976) from Kermadec Islands (Veitch et al. 2004).