From Opus

Photo by Fabio
Photo taken: Gramado, Brazil

Note the wing spur. Photo by Gary Clark.
Location: Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Vanellus chilensis

[edit] Identification

31-33 cm. Brown grey upperparts, bronze glossing on shoulders, grey head with black forehead and throat patch extending onto the black breast. A white border separates the black of the face from the grey of the head and crest. The rest of the underparts are white, and the eye ring, legs and most of the bill are pink. Broad white wing bar separating the grey-brown of the back and wing coverts from the black flight feathers. It is equipped with red bony extensions under the wings (spurs), used to intimidate foes and fight birds of prey. The rump is white and the tail black.

The sexes are similar in plumage, but young birds are duller, with a shorter crest and browner face and breast.

[edit] Distribution

South America.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Habitat

Lakes, river banks or open grassland.

[edit] Behaviour

The diet includes insects and other small invertebrates.

The nest is a bare ground scrape and 2-3 olive brown eggs are laid.

[edit] External Links