THREE LAPWINGS

The lapwings featured here used to be called plovers. Taxonomists keep picking away at differences between species – be they plants, animals or birds – which is probably good overall, but can be frustrating for the general public learning the names of what they see around them. Some name changes are easier to digest than others. Anyhow, today I present to you three of the lapwings we see in South Africa.

Crowned Lapwings (Vanellus coronatus) sport a black crown, divided by a white halo. They are otherwise brown and white with bright red legs. I often hear them in the late afternoons and occasionally see them close to where I live as, unlike the two species mentioned below, they prefer drier areas with short grasslands and so tend to be more common in the semi-arid regions.

The eat termites and a variety of insects.

The young leave the nest immediately after hatching and both parents look after them. This immature Crowned Lapwing was photographed in the Kruger National Park.

White Crowned Lapwings (Vanellus albiceps) have conspicuously long yellow wattles, a white belly, and a grey head split down the centre by a broad white crown stripe. Note the carpal spurs on this adult.

These birds are usually found near water and eat a variety of invertebrates and insects. I photographed these near the Olifants River

Blacksmith Lapwings (Vanellus armatus) are easily identified through its bold coloured plumage of black, white, and grey. I first came across these birds during a trip to Botswana many years ago and now regularly see them at Ghwarrie Dam in the nearby Addo Elephant National Park.

Classified as waders, they are usually found near water. They eat a varied diet of worms, insects, crustaceans, invertebrates, larvae, ants, beetles, and even butterflies – if they can catch them! Blacksmith Lapwings are equipped with a wing spur on the leading edge of both wings to help them fend off intruders. Their common name is linked to their characteristic metallic “tink-tink-tink” alarm call which resembles a blacksmith’s hammer striking an anvil.