Vanellus tricolor
The Banded Lapwing (Vanellus tricolor) is a striking and distinctive medium-sized shorebird, measuring approximately 25-29 cm (10-11.5 inches) in length with a wingspan of 75-85 cm (30-33 inches) and weighing 120-220 grams. Its most defining features include a prominent black breast band, a contrasting white stripe below its eye, and a black crown. The upperparts are a uniform brown, while the underparts are pure white. A small, bright yellow eye-ring and a vivid red bill, tipped with yellow,...
This species primarily inhabits open grasslands, agricultural fields, pastures, and sparsely treed woodlands, favoring short-cropped vegetation. It is typically found in lowland areas, rarely venturing into higher elevations.
Primarily insectivorous, their diet consists mainly of invertebrates such as beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, ants, earthworms, and other insect larvae, which they find by visual hunting and probing the ground.
Banded Lapwings are diurnal, actively foraging during the day and roosting communally at night, often in open areas providing good visibility. Their foraging strategy involves walking rapidly across open ground, pausing to visually locate prey, then snatching insects or probing the soil with thei...
The Banded Lapwing is endemic to Australia, with its primary breeding and resident range spanning across southern and eastern mainland Australia, including Tasmania. Its distribution extends from southwestern Western Australia, across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and into southern ...
Least Concern
- The Banded Lapwing is also commonly known as the 'Black-breasted Plover' or 'Black-fronted Dotterel' in parts of Australia, though 'Banded Lapwing' is the universally accepted name. - They are masters of camouflage; their eggs are perfectly mottled to blend in with the ground, making them incre...