Black-headed lapwing

Black-headed lapwing
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Charadriidae
Genus:	Vanellus
Species:	V. tectus
Binomial name
Vanellus tectus (Boddaert, 1783)
Synonyms
Charadrius tectus Boddaert, 1783 Hoplopterus tectus (Boddaert, 1783) Lobivanellus tectus (Boddaert, 1783) Sarciophorus tectus (Boddaert, 1783)

The black-headed lapwing or black-headed plover (Vanellus tectus) is a large lapwing, a group of largish waders in the family Charadriidae. It is a resident breeder across sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia, although it has seasonal movements. It lays two or three eggs on a ground scrape.

These are conspicuous and unmistakable birds. They are medium-large waders with a black head other than a white forehead, lower face and bands across the rear head and nape. There is a wispy black crest like northern lapwing and the bill and legs are red. The tail is white, tipped black.

In flight, the black-headed lapwing's upperwings have black flight feathers and brown coverts separated by a white bar. The underwings are white with black flight feathers.

This species is a common breeder in wet lowland habitats close to water. It often feeds in drier habitats, such as golf courses and grassy scrub, picking insects and other invertebrates from the ground.

The black-headed lapwing has a metallic tink-tink call.

References

• Shorebirds - An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World by John Marchant, A. J. Prater and Peter Hayman ISBN 0-395-60237-8 (paperback) ISBN 0-7099-2034-2 (hardback).