Sociable Lapwing
Vanellus gregarius
The Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) is a rare plovers and lapwing found in 38 countries, weighing about 224 g. The sociable lapwing, referred to as the sociable plover in the UK, is a wader in the plover family.
About the Sociable Lapwing
The sociable lapwing, referred to as the sociable plover in the UK, is a wader in the plover family. It is a fully migratory bird, breeding in Kazakhstan and wintering in the Middle East, Indian subcontinent, and Sudan with a very small wintering population in Iberia. Historical literature referred to this bird as the black-bellied lapwing.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This medium-sized lapwing has longish black legs and a short black bill. Non breeding individuals in winter have light brown wings with a striking head pattern. The sociable lapwing has a black crown and eyestripe, the latter being bordered above and below with white. The underside of the bird is white. Its long-ish black legs, white tail with a black terminal band and distinctive brown, white and grey wings make it almost unmistakable in flight. The summer breeding plumage is much more vivid.
What the Sociable Lapwing sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Netherlands, Finland, India, Georgia, Denmark, Luxembourg, Pakistan, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Sociable Lapwing?
- This medium-sized lapwing has longish black legs and a short black bill. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Sociable Lapwing?
- The Sociable Lapwing is a medium sized bird weighing about 224 g.
- Where can you see a Sociable Lapwing?
- The Sociable Lapwing occurs in 38 countries, including Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, Israel and the United Kingdom.
- What does a Sociable Lapwing sound like?
- You can listen to 2 field recordings of the Sociable Lapwing on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Sociable Lapwing?
- The Sociable Lapwing is most easily confused with the Black-headed Lapwing, the Spot-breasted Lapwing and the Brown-chested Lapwing.
- Is the Sociable Lapwing endangered?
- The Sociable Lapwing is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Sociable Lapwing for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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