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- Vanellus vanellus
Identification
28-31cm long bird with a 67-72cm wingspan. Rounded wings and a crest, black and white, green tinted back
Distribution
British Isles, France east to the Urals, Scandinavia and Russia.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Open country with short grass, bare soil or in crops, often near freshwater.
Behaviour
3–4 eggs are laid in a ground scrape.
Diet includes insects and other small invertebrates. It prefers to feed nocturnally when there are moonlit nights.
The name lapwing derives from the "lapping" sound its wings make, or the flapping flight.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Vanellus vanellus (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
