| an African courser, Pluvianus aegyptius, that often sits upon basking crocodiles and feeds on their insect parasites. |
| crocodile bird n. A black and white African bird (Pluvianus aegyptius) that is related to the plover and feeds on insects that parasitize crocodiles. |
crocodile bird
(Pluvianus aegyptius; see ), shorebird belonging to the family Glareolidae (order Charadriiformes). The crocodile bird is a plover-like courser that derives its name from its frequent association with the Nile crocodile, from whose hide it picks parasites for food. By their cries, the birds also serve to warn crocodiles of approaching danger. They are also called black-backed coursers.
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