The family burhinidae is a family of many bird species and genera, with many characteristics that set them apart. Among the many species is the stone curlew, a small tropical bird, found mostly in the semi arid areas of the tropics. Although the stone curlew is said to favor the wetlands, several species of the bird have been seen to do quite well in semi arid area. Its reference as thick knee is due to the fact that the stone curlew is literally thick kneed with large joints that protrude out of the scales. Both the names thick knee and stone curlew are used interchangeably to refer to the same bird. The stone curlew has lighter under parts, with the body parts being different shades of brown.

The stone curlews are migratory birds which breed in March and April and are endemic to Europe. They are small nocturnal birds which hunt at night. They tend to be quite noisy and can produce quite a racket during the day. They nest their chick in vegetated areas, although it does not help much given the fact that the vegetation they prefer is the short type; making them vulnerable to their land predators predatory birds. They hunt in groups and will eat almost anything that moves. Their diet ranges from insects to rodents and lizards. They migrate to Europe during winter to breed. Among the many species of the curlew are the Double-striped Thick-knee Burhinus bistriatus and the Peruvian thick knee. Burhinus superciliaris

A chick will take almost a year to be ready to be able to breed and before it happens, they pair up with a monogamous partner. They build their nests using any scrap they find. They use vegetation and even go to the extent of using trash from trash bags. the female will lay the eggs on the nest after which the nest will be taken care of by both the parents, each one with a turn at incubating the egg or eggs (they are usually one or two) which hatch after four weeks. The chicks grow fast and are able to leave the nest within a day or so of hatching. Before they can become independent and fend for themselves, the chicks will be taken care of by the parents which includes providing the young ones with food or even carrying them on their wings over short distances. This will go on until Fledging occurs after a month and a half of hatching which implies independence. There is always a chance that the chicks will not make it beyond their first few weeks because they are subject to predators. If it happens, they are replaced by another brood and so on. Usually the broods go up to three broods and rarely will you see a fourth or fifth brood. Their migratory patterns include England, southern Spain, and northwest Africa which they frequent depending on the changing weather patterns.