Lapwing

The lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) is unusual is having three quite different but commonly used names, the other two being green plover and peewit. The name “lapwing” comes from its distinctive wing shape and style of flight, and “peewit” is an excellent imitation of part of its display call. And yes, parts of its plumage are green!

Distribution and habitat

The lapwing is a farmland bird that is most commonly seen in northern England and southern and eastern Scotland. However, lapwings winter in estuaries and lowland pastures in other parts of England, including the Somerset Levels and The Wash. Typically, their breeding grounds are in upland areas, but there is also a breeding population in the New Forest, which is close to the coast of southern England. Preferred breeding sites include fields sown with early cereal and root crops, rough pastures, meadows and undisturbed heathland.

Appearance

The lapwing is about 32 centimetres (12-13 inches) long. At a distance, the bird appears to have black upperparts and white underparts, but the back has a distinct greenish sheen. The throat and chest are black and there is an orange streak under the tail. The wings are broad with rounded, paddle-like ends, that are flapped extravagantly in flight. However, the feature that is most distinctive is the long wispy crest that extends from the back of the head, turning up at the end. 

Breeding

The male lapwing performs an energetic display flight, with tumbles and dives, which he repeats after a female has been attracted. Nest building takes place in March or April, the nest consisting of a shallow depression in a field, lined with a few leaves, stalks or twigs. Some birds choose a more elevated position so that they can keep a lookout for danger.

The clutch is usually four eggs (sometimes only three) which are incubated by both parents in turn for up to 28 days. If a clutch is lost, the female may try again several times, but only one brood will be raised. The chicks only stay in the nest for a couple of days before dispersing into the nearby undergrowth for safety.

Food for lapwings is worms, insects, larvae, spiders and molluscs, plus some vegetable matter and seeds. The nesting area is not normally suitable for gathering food, so the parent birds, who look after the chicks until they fledge at about five weeks, lead them to feeding grounds that can be some distance away.

After they leave their breeding grounds, lapwings can be seen in large flocks in agricultural areas and coastal winter quarters.

Conservation

The lapwing is a protected species in the United Kingdom, being on the red list of species under threat. In former times, lapwing eggs were a sought-after delicacy, and an Act of Parliament was necessary (in 1926) to make the practice illegal. However, changes in agriculture, such as the conversion of grassland to crop growing, have also affected lapwing numbers. Modern crops grow quickly, which may not suit the timetable of the lapwings if the stalks are too high at the time they wish to nest.

Although lapwing numbers have declined in areas where farming methods have seen most change, there has been something of a revival in the New Forest, where the ecology is far more bird-friendly and forestry practices have produced a more suitable habitat than that of managed farmland. The main threats here to lapwing broods are natural ones, such as crows, foxes and the careless feet of ponies and other animals.

Overall, the lapwing continues to be a species in danger, with only 40% (at best) of chicks surviving to breeding age.

© John Welford