Spur-winged Lapwing
A species of Lapwings, Also known as Spur-winged Plover Scientific name : Vanellus spinosus Genus : Lapwings
Spur-winged Lapwing, A species of Lapwings
Also known as:
Spur-winged Plover
Botanical name: Vanellus spinosus
Genus: Lapwings
Content
Description General Info
Description
These are conspicuous and unmistakable birds. They are medium-large waders with black crown, chest, foreneck stripe and tail. The face, the rest of the neck and belly are white and the wings and back are light brown. The bill and legs are black. Its striking appearance is supplemented by its noisy nature, with a loud did-he-do-it call. The bird's common name refers to a small claw or spur hidden in each of its wings. 
Size
28 cm
Colors
Brown
Black
Gray
White
Life Expectancy
17 years
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
Spur-winged Lapwing predominantly feeds on insects and other invertebrates, foraged directly from the ground. It exhibits specific foraging behaviors adapted to its diet but has no distinct dietary preferences unique from similar species.
Habitat
Spur-winged Lapwing predominantly frequents wetland regions, thriving in areas surrounding freshwater bodies such as marshes, lakes, rivers, and lagoons. The species is also well-adapted to a variety of other terrains, including agricultural landscapes like rice fields, and more arid zones, where they can be found near burnt grassland or in proximity to mudflats, sandflats, and sodaflats. They show a predilection for firm ground, yet maintain a close association with water, occasionally inhabiting ponds and marshy locales.
Dite type
Insectivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Behavior
This species has a preference for marshes and similar freshwater wetland habitats. The food of the spur-winged lapwing is insects and other invertebrates, which are picked from the ground. It lays four blotchy yellowish eggs on a ground scrape. The spur-winged lapwing is known to sometimes use the wing-claws in an attack on animals and, rarely, people, who get too close to the birds' exposed offspring.
Distribution Area
The spur-winged lapwing breeds around the eastern Mediterranean, and in a wide band from sub-Saharan west Africa to Arabia. The Greek and Turkish breeders are migratory, but other populations are resident. The species is declining in its northern range, but is abundant in much of tropical Africa, being seen at almost any wetland habitat in its range. The spur-winged lapwing is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Shorebirds Family
Plovers Genus
Lapwings Species
Spur-winged Lapwing 
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