Black-winged lapwing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-winged lapwing |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Vanellus
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| Species: |
melanopterus
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| Synonyms | |
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Charadrius melanopterus Cretzschmar, 1829 |
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The black-winged lapwing (Vanellus melanopterus) is a cool bird found in eastern Africa. You can spot them from the highlands of Ethiopia all the way down to central Kenya. They also live in eastern South Africa, especially near the coast. These birds love open grasslands with short grass and plenty of water. They often move around to find the best spots, sometimes even flying at night! When they fly together in big groups, they look a lot like plovers.
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What Does It Look Like?
This lapwing has a neat look! Its head and neck are grey. A black band crosses its chest, separating the grey from its white belly. The top parts of its wings are brown. It has a white patch on its forehead, which can be different sizes. This patch is similar to its cousin, the Senegal lapwing.
But here's a big difference: when the black-winged lapwing flies, you can see a clear white bar on its wing. This white bar is surrounded by black feathers. The Senegal lapwing does not have this white wing bar. Also, these two bird species prefer different places to live. The Senegal lapwing likes lower, drier areas.
How They Live and Raise Young
The black-winged lapwing acts a bit like the crowned lapwing. Both birds are about the same size. Sometimes, you might even see them flying together in mixed groups!
Breeding Season
When spring comes, the black-winged lapwing's legs get brighter in color. This is their breeding season! They might even move to higher places during this time. Male birds can get a bit aggressive with each other. They try to claim their own areas, called territories. They do this by calling loudly and flying in special ways. These flights can include big, exaggerated wing beats.
If a female bird is interested, she will follow the male in flight. Soon after, they might mate. A favorite spot for their nest is on top of a slope in burnt grassland.
Nests and Chicks
Their eggs are quite large and dark. A female usually lays three eggs. The parents start sitting on the eggs once all three are laid. The adult birds take turns incubating the eggs. They switch places about every 90 minutes. They keep adding soft material to the nest. This helps to keep the eggs warm. Eventually, the eggs are about halfway buried in the nest lining.
The young birds hatch in just under a month. After hatching, it takes about another month for the chicks to learn to take care of themselves.
What They Eat and Where They Live
Black-winged lapwings love to hunt for termites on the ground. Termites make up a big part of their diet! They also eat other insects like tenebrionid beetles and ants. If they are kept in captivity, they really enjoy eating earthworms and mealworms.
Small groups of these birds will protect their feeding areas. These areas can be smaller than one hectare (about 2.5 acres). They are very protective of new territories they find. They will make loud calls and show off to scare away other birds. They might even fly at intruders to chase them away. However, if there is a lot of good habitat, large groups of these birds will form big flocks. These big flocks do not defend specific territories.
Conservation Status
People's actions can affect these birds in both good and bad ways. But don't worry, the black-winged lapwing is not an endangered species. This bird is part of an important agreement. It is called the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). This agreement helps protect birds that migrate between Africa and Eurasia.
