Vanellus melanopterus
The Black-winged Lapwing, *Vanellus melanopterus*, is a medium-sized wader endemic to specific regions of Africa, instantly recognizable by its striking plumage. Measuring around 26-30 cm in length with a wingspan of 65-75 cm and weighing between 140-220g, it possesses an upright, elegant posture. Its most distinctive field mark is the contrasting black upperwing coverts and primaries, which stand out against its grey neck and breast, pure white belly, and a sharply defined white forehead and...
This lapwing primarily inhabits short-grass savannas, open grasslands, and cultivated fields, often in drier areas and frequently at higher elevations up to 3,000 meters.
Their diet consists primarily of a variety of insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, ants, and their larvae, supplemented with other small invertebrates such as worms and spiders. They forage by visually locating prey and pecking or probing shallowly into the ground.
Black-winged Lapwings are diurnal, actively foraging in open areas during the day and typically roosting communally at night, sometimes near water. Their foraging strategy involves a distinctive run-and-stop technique, visually scanning for prey before making a quick peck or shallow probe into th...
The Black-winged Lapwing has a disjunct distribution across two main regions of Africa. The nominate subspecies, *V. m. melanopterus*, is found in Southern Africa, predominantly in the eastern parts of South Africa (from Eastern Cape north through KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Free State, and Gauten...
Least Concern
- The Black-winged Lapwing is one of the few lapwing species found regularly at relatively high altitudes, often above 2,000 meters in East Africa. - Its common name directly refers to its most distinctive feature: the entirely black upperwing coverts, which create a striking contrast in flight. ...