Sociable Lapwing
Image: <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/9919745@N03">Ron Knight</a> from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom (CC BY 2.0)
NameSociable Lapwing
Common NameSociable Lapwing
Scientific NameVanellus gregarius
FamilyCharadriidae
Wingspan (cm)70
Length (cm)29
Weight (g)205
Plumage DetailsAdults have sandy-brown upperparts, white underparts, and a striking head pattern with a black crown, white supercilium, and a dark eye-stripe. In flight, they show prominent black primary flight feathers and a white wing bar. Breeding adults develop a chestnut belly patch.
Vocalization / CallIts vocalizations include a sharp, reedy 'kew-wit' or 'kvit' call, often given in alarm or during display flights.
Primary Dietinsectivore
Primary Habitatsgrassland, steppe, semi-desert, cultivated fields
Conservation Statuscritically-endangered
Geographic RangeBreeds in the steppes of Central Asia, primarily Kazakhstan and Russia. Winters in the Middle East, Northeast Africa, and parts of India.
Identifying FeaturesDistinctive head pattern (black crown, white supercilium, dark eye-stripe), Pale sandy-brown upperparts, White underparts with a chestnut belly patch in breeding adults, Prominent black primary flight feathers and white wing bar in flight, Long, dark legs
Description
The Sociable Lapwing is a medium-sized migratory wader characterized by its distinctive head pattern and elegant flight. It typically inhabits open steppes and grasslands, often seen foraging for invertebrates on the ground.
