Black-headed Lapwing

Overview

The black-headed lapwing, or black-headed plover (Vanellus tectus), is a large wading bird and a resident breeder across sub-Saharan Africa. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Medium-large wader with a black head featuring a white forehead, lower face, and bands across the rear head and nape.
• Red bill and legs with a wispy black crest similar to the northern lapwing.
• White tail tipped with black; in flight, upperwings show black flight feathers and brown coverts separated by a white bar.
• Produces a metallic 'tink-tink' call.

Habitat

A resident breeder across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia, with seasonal movements. It commonly occupies wet lowland habitats close to water.

Diet

Feeds in drier habitats such as golf courses and grassy scrub, picking insects and other invertebrates from the ground.

Did you know?

The bird was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1781, though the scientific name was not coined until 1783 by Pieter Boddaert.