From Opus

Alternative name: Spur-winged Lapwing
Disambiguation: this is the African and Middle Eastern species. For the species from Australia and New Zealand, see Masked Lapwing

Vanellus spinosus

Photo by Scottishdude
The Gambia, March, 2010

[edit] Identification

• Black crown, chest, throat and tail
• White face
• Light brown wings and back
• Black bill and legs

[edit] Distribution

Africa: found from Senegambia to the Red Sea, north-eastern Tanzania and eastern Mediterranean.

[edit] Taxonomy

Photo by A. Meir
Eilat, Israel, July, 2007

This is a monotypic species^[1].

[edit] Habitat

A variety of aquatic habitats; river-side marshes, flooded fields, damp grassland and mangroves

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects and other invertebrates, which are picked from the ground.

[edit] Breeding

The clutch consists of 2 blotchy yellowish eggs which are laid in a ground scrape.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Wikipedia
3. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links