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The stone-curlews or thick-knees are a group of largely tropical waders in the family Burhinidae. They are found worldwide within the tropical zone, with some species also breeding in temperate Europe and Australia.

They are medium to large waders with strong black or yellow black bills, large yellow eyes—which give them a reptilian appearance—and cryptic plumage. The names thick-knee and stone-curlew are both in common use, the preference among authorities for one term or the other varying from year to year. The term stone-curlew owes its origin to the broad similarities with true curlews (which are not closely related). Thick-knee refers to the prominent joints in the long yellow or greenish legs and apparently originated with a name coined in 1776 for B. oedicnemus, the Thick-kneed Bustard.

Despite being classed as waders, most species have a preference for arid or semi-arid habitats. They are largely nocturnal, particularly when singing their loud wailing songs, which are reminiscent of true curlews.

Food is insects and other invertebrates. The larger species will also take lizards and even small mammals.

Most species are sedentary, but the Stone Curlew is a summer migrant in the temperate European part of its range, wintering in Africa.

The nine species are:

• ORDER CHARADRIIFORMES
• Suborder Charadrii: waders
  • Family Thinocoridae: seedsnipe
  • Family Pedionomidae: Plains Wanderer
  • Family ScolopacidaeMany, see text The Scolopacidae are a large family of waders, (known as shorebirds in North America). The majority of species eat small invertebrates picked out of the mud or soil. Different lengths of bills enable different species to feed in the same ha: snipe, sandpipers, phalaropes, and allies
  • Family Rostratulidae: painted snipe
  • Family Jacanidae: jacanas
  • Family Chionididae: sheathbills
  • Family Burhinidae
    • Stone CurlewStone Curlew : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Charadriiformes : Burhinidae Burhinus oedicnemus Binomial name Burhinus oedicnemus Linnaeus, 1758) The Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus is the northern representative of the Stone-curlews, waders in the family B, Burhinus oedicnemus
    • Senegal Thick-kneeSenegal Thick-knee : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Charadriiformes : Burhinidae Burhinus senegalensis Binomial name Burhinus senegalensis Swainson, 1837) The Senegal Thick-knee Burhinus senegalensis is a Stone-curlew, a group of waders in the family Burhin, Burhinus senegalensis
    • Water Dikkop , Burhinus vermiculatus
    • Spotted Dikkop , Burhinus capensis
    • Double-striped Thick-knee , Burhinus bistriatus
    • Peruvian Thick-knee , Burhinus superciliaris
    • Bush Stone-curlew, Burhinus grallarius (formerly B. magnirostris, the Bush Thick-knee).
    • Great Thick-knee, Esacus recurvirostris
    • Beach Stone-curlew, Esacus neglectus (formerly E. magnirostris, the Beach Thick-knee).
  • Family Haematopodidae: oystercatchers
  • Family Recurvirostridae: avocets
  • Family Ibidorhynchidae: Ibisbill
  • Family Charadriidae plovers and lapwings
  • Family Pluvianellidae: Magellanic Plover
  • Family Dromadidae: Crab Plover
  • Family Glareolidae: pratincoles and coursers
• Suborder Lari: gulls and allies; 4 families
• Suborder Alcae: auks; 1 family