Black-winged Lapwing
Vanellus melanopterus
Large, long-legged, upland shorebird with a brown back, a white belly, and a dark gray hood. Found in grassland and cultivation; only at high elevations over much of its range. Social; often found in flocks. Call is a high-pitched “chit-chit-chit” followed by a lower “chrrrey.” Very similar to Senegal Lapwing, but slightly larger and shorter-legged, with more white on the forehead, redder legs, and more black on the breast. Easily separated in flight, when Black-winged shows a white bar across the middle of the wing.
Identification
A black breast band separates the lapwing's grey head and neck from the white underside. The wing coverts are brown. It has a variable but prominent white forehead patch similar to its near relative, the Senegal lapwing, but in contrast shows a prominent white wingbar in flight, bordered by black remiges. The two species are also separated by their respective habitat preferences, the Senegal lapwing preferring lower, mostly drier locations.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Vanellus melanopterus
- Authority
- (Cretzschmar, 1829)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Charadriidae
- Genus
- Vanellus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Vertical migration
Conservation
Human activities impact both positively and negatively on this species; it is not endangered. The black-winged lapwing is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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Blue-throated Bee-eater
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A bright green insect hunter with a long bill and triangular starling-like wings. Adult has a bright blue throat, orange-brown crown and nape, and long trailing central tail feathers. Sexes are alike. Juveniles have a paler blue throat, no orange-brown coloration, and no long tail extensions. Often hunts from exposed perches such as telephone lines or snags, on which it rubs its venomous quarry so as to disarm it. Call is a bright, inflected “chileep.”
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Large seabird of the Atlantic with long, pointed bill, wings, and tail. Adults bright white with cream-colored head and black wingtips. Takes several years to reach adult plumage; juveniles are all sooty-brown and slowly acquire more white as they mature. Nests in enormous colonies on cliffs in the North Atlantic. Spends most of its life at sea, although often fairly close to land, so they are often visible from shore or on whale watching boats. Dives torpedolike into the ocean for fish. Gathers in large feeding flocks, but sometimes solitary.
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