Northern Lapwing

Overview

The northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), also known as the peewit, is a wader in the lapwing subfamily that is common through temperate Eurosiberia. Highly migratory over most of its range, it winters as far south as North Africa and parts of Asia, though lowland breeders in western Europe are resident.

Identification

• 28–33 cm long with a 67–87 cm wingspan, featuring rounded wings and a prominent crest.
• Plumage is mainly black and white, with a back tinted green; males have a black crown, throat, and breast contrasting with a white face.
• Characteristic loud, shrill "pee-wit" call, often accompanied by wheezy "pee-wit, wit wit, eeze wit" during display flight.

Habitat

Breeds in cultivated areas and habitats with short vegetation, while in winter it forms huge flocks on open land, particularly arable land and mud-flats. Its range covers temperate Eurosiberia, with migrations extending to North Africa, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of China.

Diet

Feeds mainly on insects and other small invertebrates, often in mixed flocks with golden plovers and black-headed gulls. It is known to beat the ground with one leg to bring worms to the surface, a technique called worm charming, and prefers to feed at night when there is moonlight.

Did you know?

The species is one of the few for which the Republic of Ireland was declared the national bird in 1990, and its name is linked to Philip II of Spain, who reportedly wore a feather in his cap.