Belongs to: breeding waders
Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Also known as: pee-wit, green plover
BoCC Red list
Best time to see: all year
Key facts
Wader with a distinctive crest found commonly in wet meadows, where they probe for insects such as wireworms
Habitat: freshwater marshes, moors, estuaries and fields
Resident; widespread and common in winter, but has declined drastically as a breeding bird
Recognition
Green glossy sheen to upperparts, black and white face, black crest and pinkish long legs; magpie-sized, i.e. 30 cm
Walks slowly feeding on invertebrates; in winter often flocks on open fields along with gulls and golden plovers
Acrobatic, swooping display flights by the male in spring, making pee-wit calls
Lifecycle
Male makes several scrapes on the ground and the female selects one and lines with grasses
One brood of 4 buff eggs blotched black, late March to May
Some fly to south-west Europe in winter, and birds from northern Europe fly here
.jpg)
© Alan Williams