Vanellus vanellus
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Mass
~220 g
Habitat
Wetlands and marshes
Diet
Omnivore
How to recognize it
The Northern Lapwing is a striking open-country wader with bold black-and-white plumage and a neat crest. It stands out most in flight, while on the ground it looks alert and restless.
In spring it becomes especially noisy. Lapwings wheel over a meadow, call sharply, and may mob an intruder as a group, while males put on lively display flights overhead.
It favors damp meadows, grassy marshes, and open fields, and it does not mind people nearby. Its food is mostly insects and other small invertebrates, and in many places it is an ordinary sight on fields and grasslands.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
The Northern Lapwing is a striking open-country wader with bold black-and-white plumage and a neat crest. It stands out most in flight, while on the ground it looks alert and restless.
In spring it becomes especially noisy. Lapwings wheel over a meadow, call sharply, and may mob an intruder as a group, while males put on lively display flights overhead.
It favors damp meadows, grassy marshes, and open fields, and it does not mind people nearby. Its food is mostly insects and other small invertebrates, and in many places it is an ordinary sight on fields and grasslands.
