Grey-headed Lapwings
Lapwings
The Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus is a lapwing species which breeds in northeast China and Japan. The mainland population winters in northern Southeast Asia from northeastern India to Cambodia.
The Japanese population winters, at least partially, in southern Honshū.
This species has occurred as a vagrant in Russia, the Philippines, Indonesia and New South Wales, Australia
Avianweb Visitor Kim Kitamura from Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan contributed the photos on this page and provided the following information about this bird species: "Generally, they are quite shy and quickly fly away from people, but I have [...] discovered that they are fiercely protective of their nests, going so far as to threaten even humans [...] that get too close."
Description
Grey-headed Lapwing is 34-37 cm long. It has a grey head and neck, darker grey breast band and white belly. The back is brown, the rump is white and the tail is black. This is a striking species in flight, with black primaries (longest wing feathers), white under wings and upper wing secondaries, and brown upper wing coverts.
Adults of both sexes are similarly plumaged, but males are slightly larger than females.
Young birds have the grey areas of plumage tinged with grey, a less distinct breast band, and pale fringes to the upperpart and wing covert feathers.
Call / Vocalization
The call of the Grey-headed Lapwing is a sharp chee-it.
Behaviour
This species nests from April to July in wet grassland, rice fields and marshland edges.
It winters in similar habitat and is then gregarious.
Diet / Feeding
It feeds in shallow water on insects, worms and molluscs.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Vanellus cinereus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Hayman, Marchant and Prater, Shorebirds ISBN 0-873403-19-4
- Robson, Craig A Field Guide to the Birds of Thailand ISBN-10: 1843309211
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