from the adult's belly feathers. The adults bury the chicks in the sand temporarily if danger threatens. Supposed relationship with crocodiles The bird is sometimes referred to as the crocodile bird for its symbiotic relationship with crocodiles. According to Herodotus, the crocodiles lie on the shore with their mouths open and a bird called "Trochilus" flies into the crocodiles' mouths so as to feed on decaying meat lodged between the crocodiles' teeth. The identification of the Trochilus with any particular plover is doubtful and the cleaning symbiosis itself has never been documented by video or photographic evidence. Gallery Notes References General references Hayman, Marchant and Prater, Shorebirds Egyptian plover Birds of Sub-Saharan Africa Egyptian plover Egyptian plover Higher-level bird taxa restricted to the Afrotropics