Vanellus cinereus
The Grey-headed Lapwing (*Vanellus cinereus*) is a striking medium-sized shorebird, measuring approximately 34-37 cm in length with a wingspan typically ranging from 70-75 cm. Its most distinctive feature, lending it its name, is the ash-grey head and upper breast, sharply demarcated by a broad black breast band and pure white underparts. Further identification marks include bright yellow legs, a relatively short bill with a red base and black tip, and contrasting black primary flight feather...
Primarily found in open, shallow freshwater wetlands, wet grasslands, and cultivated fields, particularly rice paddies. It typically inhabits lowland areas, rarely venturing into higher elevations.
The diet consists mainly of invertebrates, including insects (especially beetles, grasshoppers, and their larvae), earthworms, mollusks, and small crustaceans. They primarily forage by sight, pecking at surface prey or probing shallow mud.
Grey-headed Lapwings are diurnal, actively foraging throughout the day and often roosting communally at night, especially outside the breeding season. They employ a 'run-and-peck' foraging strategy, visually locating prey on the surface or probing shallowly into soft ground with their bills. Duri...
The Grey-headed Lapwing has a broad geographic distribution across Asia. Its primary breeding grounds extend through temperate Northeast Asia, encompassing southeastern Siberia, northeastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and across the entire Japanese archipelago. After the breeding season, these ...
Least Concern
- The Grey-headed Lapwing's English common name directly describes its most prominent field mark: its distinctive ash-grey head. - Its migratory journey between its breeding grounds in Northeast Asia and wintering grounds in Southeast Asia can span thousands of kilometers. - Unlike many shorebird...