- Vanellus chilensis
Identification
31-33 cm
- Brownish-grey upperparts
- Bronze glossing on shoulders
- Grey head
- Black forehead and throat patch which extends onto the black breast
- White border separating the black of the face from the grey of the head and crest
- White underparts
- Eye ring, legs and most of the bill are pink
- Broad white wing bar separates the grey-brown of the back and wing coverts from the black flight feathers. *Red bony extensions under the wings (spurs), used to intimidate foes and fight birds of prey
- Rump is white and the tail black.
Sexes similar; young birds are duller, with a shorter crest and browner face and breast.
Distribution
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
Northern
- V. c. cayennensis (Northern):
- Northern South America north of the Amazon
- Northern South America north of the Amazon
Southern
- V. c. lampronotus (Central South America):
- V. c. chilensis:
- V. c. fretensis:
Habitat
Lakes, river banks or open grassland.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes insects and other small invertebrates.
Breeding
The nest is a bare ground scrape and 2-3 olive brown eggs are laid.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Southern Lapwing. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 November 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Southern_Lapwing
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
