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Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellusOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Plovers (Charadriidae)
Codes: Common Name: NOLA Scientific Name: VANVAN ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176481
Unknown
 
Northern Lapwing: The male Northern Lapwing has a black bib, face, crown and long upright head plumes. The back and wings are glossy dark green. The undertail coverts are rich rufous-orange and the underparts are white.
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Northern Lapwing Variations

Northern Lapwing
Winter
Northern Lapwing
Northern Lapwing
Male
Northern Lapwing

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Overview

Northern Lapwing: Large, unique plover with black breast, face, crown, and long upright head plumes; back is green-tinged purple and copper. Belly and sides are white, uppertail is white with a black tip, and undertail coverts are rich rufous-orange. Wings are dark with white tips; legs are pink.

Range and Habitat

Northern Lapwing: Found in a wide variety of open areas with bare ground or low grasses. Widespread in Europe and Asia, occasionally wanders in the fall to eastern Canada and northeastern United States.

Topo Map: Sandpiper-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"peewit"

Interesting Facts

 The Northern Lapwing is also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or (in the British Isles) just Lapwing.

 Many records in North America happen after storms. A storm in December 1927 and another in January 1966 account for an appreciable part of Canadian records.

 In the Netherlands it is a cultural-historical competition to find the first egg of the year.

 A group of lapwings has many collective nouns, including a "deceit", "desert", and "skein" of lapwings.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

David Wenzel

Splitbar
Range Map for Northern Lapwing

.
Family
Species Vanellus vanellus
Length12 - 13 Inches
Wingspan33 Inches

Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing: Large, unique plover with black breast, face, crown, and long upright head plumes; back is green-tinged purple and copper. Belly and sides are white, uppertail is white with a black tip, and undertail coverts are rich rufous-orange. Wings are dark with white tips; legs are pink.

● Song: "peewit"

● Foraging & Feeding: Northern Lapwing: Feeds in open fields and areas of bare ground, where it hunts for insects and small invertebrates by sight. Will run a few steps, pause and probe in ground, run a few steps.

● Breeding & nesting: Northern Lapwing: Breeds in a wide variety of open habitats ranging from wetlands to pastures and old fields. Lays four or five brown eggs with black markings that are primarily incubated by the female for 26 to 28 days. Chicks are independent soon after hatching but are guarded by one or both parents.

● Similar species:

Flight Pattern

Strong agile flight at takeoff, settling into deep loose wingbeats.
Northern Lapwing: Male
● Range & Habitat: Northern Lapwing: Found in a wide variety of open areas with bare ground or low grasses. Widespread in Europe and Asia, occasionally wanders in the fall to eastern Canada and northeastern United States.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
Population
MigrationMigratory
Weight7 Ounces
Sandpiper-like BodyX
Undertail covertsX
Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
CrownX
The crown is the top part of the birds head.
FaceX
The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX