The Dentist Bird: The Egyptian Spur-Winged Plover

Abstract

The ancient Egyptians knew many different types of birds. They represented them on the walls of their tombs in different contexts and with various roles. Among these types of birds is the Spur-Winged Plover that is known by a number of titles in ancient Egypt and in the writings of Greek historians and travelers, as well as in Islamic writings, and a title that has become famous recently, which is (the dentist bird). The research aims to study and discuss this type of bird, its species, its characteristic natural features, its common name and titles in ancient and modern times, and its depiction or mention in the ancient Egyptian scenes or inscriptions. The research employs the descriptive and analytical methodology for the discussed scenes and collected data to achieve the aimed results of the study. One of the main results of the study is that the bird was known in Egypt since the Prehistoric Periods, as a domestic avian remain.