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Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) Alternate name(s): "Spur-winged Plover", "Wattled Plover", "Alarm-bird" Aboriginal name(s): "baaldarradharra" [gamilaraay, yuwaalaraay]; "dabe-dabehr" [western bundjalung]; "dilbidilbi" [ngadjon]; "perrit-perrit" [yartwatjali], "pirrit-pirrit" [tjapwurrung], "perrit" [western djadjawurrung], "parritj-parritj" [eastern djadjawurrung] Size: 35-39 cm; wing span 75-85 cm Body mass: 215-300 g (race "miles"); 300-425 g (race "novaehollandiae")

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Masked Lapwings are medium-sized waders. They have an all-white front (throat, neck, chest, belly and vent), a black cap and a prominent yellow frontal shield with yellow wattles. The upperparts (mantle, upperwing, rump) are greyish-brown, the uppertail is white with a broad black sub-terminal band. The upperwings are greyish-brown, except for the flight fleathers, which are dark-grey. On the wing joint a yellow spur may be visible. The irises and bill are yellow, the legs and feet are pink. Juveniles have buff tips on all greyish-brown feathers on their back and possibly some white striation in the black of their cap. Twitcher's tip Compared to Banded Lapwings they are taller and have an all-white front, making their "jizz" lighter.

Taxonomy, classification See Masked Lapwing at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Masked Lapwing is available HERE . Masked Lapwings populate Australia, New Zealand and parts of New Guinea. They are also reported from Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia and Fiji. Masked Lapwings inhabit basically the eastern half of the Australian continent. Found mostly in the South-East (Tasmania, NSW, South-East QLD and the eastern half of SA), they also disperse into central and northern QLD and, conditions permitting, basically all of the NT. Apart for a few spots on the South-West coast of WA and along the Fitzroy River, they are found neither in WA nor in the western half of SA. North of a line crossing approximately central QLD and the southern part of the NT, nominate race "miles" is found, to the South of that line one finds race "novaehollandiae", the "Spur-winged Plover". Masked Lapwings are very flexible. Although mostly found in mudflats around various types of freshwater (such as lakes, ephemeral lakes, rivers and farm dams), they also turn up in open grassland (including paddocks and pasture, urban parks and lawns and sportsgrounds). They adapt to the presence of humans very well. Where to look? How to find this species? Most urban parks, especially if there is a lake, have at least one "resident" pair of Masked Lapwings. Often they are the only waders that come close to humans. If you are seeing a type of bird with yellow wattles on long, spindly legs that is strutting about on the lake shore or on lawns or sportsgrounds, it is going to be a Masked Lapwing.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "miles" M. Mearns found Masked Lapwings, race "miles", nesting at Lake Argyle, South of Kununurra, WA, in July 2010. B. Hensen reports spotting Masked Lapwings, race "miles", on Tiwi Island, NT, in March 2013. We found Masked Lapwings, race "miles", in various locations in and around Darwin, NT, in August 2014. They are seen regularly in the same area by P. Brown and other contributors. J. Greaves reports spotting race "miles" at Alyangula, Groote Eylandt, NT, in September 2014, and at both Wyndham, WA, the sewage treatment works at Kununurra, WA, in January 2016, and at Pickertaramoor, Melville Island, off Darwin, NT, in December 2016. D. Wilczynska reports spotting Masked Lapwings, race "miles", near Cairns, QLD, in March 2015. In April 2020 R. Russell found a leucistic Masked Lapwing, race "miles", at Mount Molloy, QLD. Race "novaehollandiae" Where we live, in inland NSW, we get to see only race "novaehollandiae", the Spur-winged Plover. They can be found almost everywhere as permanent residents in our area. Masked Lapwings, race "novaehollandiae", were also found by us at Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake about 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW, starting in mid-2011. By March 2012, when the water level had dropped to expose a large mudflat, an estimated 500 birds were seen by us foraging there. Masked Lapwings, race "novaehollandiae", were also sighted by us and many contributors along the eastern seaboard of Australia, from QLD via NSW to VIC. They were also seen and heard by us in and around various types fresh water habitats in the Flinders and Gammon Ranges in South Australia in March 2008. R. Plumtree reports spotting Masked Lapwings, race "novaehollandiae", regularly in the area of Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC. J. Greaves reports spotting Masked Lapwings, race "novaehollandiae", at Loch McNess, Yanchep NP, 55 km North of Perth, WA, in January 2015, and on Kangaroo Island, SA, in March 2016. M. Eaton found Masked Lapwings, race "novaehollandiae", at Goulds Lagoon, Hobart, TAS, and at Adventure Bay, Bruny Island, TAS, in April 2021. C. Pears spotted Masked Lapwings, race "novaehollandiae", in substantial numbers at Adventure Bay, Bruny Island, TAS, in January 2023.

Photos

Race "miles"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up full-frontal view of an adult Masked Lapwing; note the absence of black streaks down the sides of the neck that is typical of this race; note also the very restricted forward vision
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Close-up frontal view of a Masked Lapwing
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Near-frontal view of a Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Near-lateral view of a Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Lateral view of a Masked Lapwing looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Ayr, QLD, August 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a Masked Lapwing; note the spurs sticking out by the flanks
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Lateral view of a Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Tiwi Island, NT, March 2013]

Close-up lateral view of a Masked Lapwing
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Lateral view of a Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Pickertaramoor, Melville Island, off Darwin, NT, December 2016]

Lateral view of Masked Lapwings resting on a lawn in an urban park
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Ayr, QLD, August 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2020]

Dorsal view of a Masked Lapwing
[Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Lateral view of two Masked Lapwings in flight
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Leucistic Masked Lapwing

Lateral view of a leucistic Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, April 2020]

Leucistic Masked Lapwing, with another, normally coloured individual behind (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Mount Molloy, QLD, April 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Masked Lapwing chick that has just had a bath under the watchful eyes of one of its parents (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, December 2017]

Here the Masked Lapwing parent bird supervising the chick (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, December 2017]

Race "novaehollandiae"

ADULT

PAIR

Lateral view of a pair of resting Masked Lapwings (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goulds Lagoon, Hobart, TAS, April 2021]

Lateral and dorsal view of a pair of Masked Lapwings
[Epping, NSW, April 2006]

Masked Lapwing taking a bath while its partner is keeping an eye on the surroundings
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2012]

Sex unknown

Close-up portrait of a Masked Lapwing, with a detailed view of the facial wattles (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Coast, QLD, May 2017]

Close-up frontal view of a Masked Lapwing, showing the black sides of the neck characteristic of race "novaehollandiae"
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, July 2018]

Frontal view of a Masked Lapwing
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, August 2015]

Close-up lateral portrait of a Masked Lapwing, with a detailed view of the facial wattles (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Coast, QLD, May 2017]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Masked Lapwing resting on a lawn; they can be very relaxed around humans when accustomed to them, but usually keep their distance in a natural environment
[Iluka NR, NSW, February 2012]

Nar-lateral view of a Masked Lapwing; the small facial mask may indicate that this is a young bird
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Moggill Regional Park, near Anstead, QLD, April 2017]

Here one can see a Masked Lapwing's tongue (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Swifts Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2017]

Close-up lateral view of a Masked Lapwing
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, July 2018]

Lateral view of a Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Adventure Bay, Bruny Island, TAS, April 2021]

Lateral view showing clearly how Masked Lapwings earn their second common name as "Spur-winged Plovers" (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Mudgeeraba, Gold Coast, QLD, September 2015]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a Masked Lapwing
[Near Burren Junction, NSW, July 2018]

Dorsal view of a Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of R. Druce)

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Masked Lapwing, showing how the species earned its second common name as "Spur-winged Plover"
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2011]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of two Masked Lapwings in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2011]

For those who like diversity: Pacific Black Duck (front left), Royal Spoonbill (right) and Masked Lapwing (rear left)
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, Februry 2006]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, February 2013]

Close-up near-frontal view of a juvenile Masked Lapwing
[Near Old Bar, NSW, September 2011]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Masked Lapwing (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, February 2013]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Masked Lapwing
[Near Old Bar, NSW, September 2011]

Lateral view of a juvenile Masked Lapwing stretching its wings (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, February 2013]

Lateral view of a juvenile Masked Lapwing stretching its wings (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, February 2013]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Masked Lapwing
[Near Old Bar, NSW, September 2011]

Frontal view of a Masked Lapwing chick (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, July 2020]

Family of Masked Lapwings on a paddock (one of two chicks visible)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2016]

Close-up lateral view of a Masked Lapwing chick (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Noosa, QLD, July 2017]

Lateral view of a Masked Lapwing chick
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2016]

Masked Lapwing chick on the side of a gravel road (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Cassilis, Swifts Creek, East Gippsland, VIC, December 2014]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Nov

Eggs: 3 - 4

Incubation period: 28 days

Fledging age: 35 days

The breeding season depends significantly on geographical latitude. In the tropical north Masked Lapwings breed Nov - May. Given the right conditions, they can breed any time of the year. In good conditions a fifth egg may also be laid.

The young are "precocial", which means that they leave the nest almost immediately after every chick has hatched (which can be within hours of the last chick hatching). They follow their parents, who lead them away and show them how to feed themselves. The chicks do not return to the nest.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Scrape

Material: Bare soil, possibly a few twigs or dry leaves

Height above ground: N/A

Masked Lapwings are ground-nesting birds that will nest almost anywhere. They choose places for nesting that to humans may seem strange, such as the middle of traffic roundabouts. But when reasoning like a bird, one will realise that a roundabout keeps away foxes, which is important to ground-nesting birds, even a species as combative as Masked Lapwings.

Race "miles"

Relatively elaborate Masked Lapwing nest, nicely lined with grass, with 4 eggs in it (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, July 2010]

Masked Lapwing at its nest with a big clutch of 5; 2 chicks have just hatched, with 3 eggs still remaining
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin University campus, Darwin, NT, October 2020]

Masked Lapwing nest with a big clutch of 5; 2 chicks have just hatched, with 3 eggs still remaining
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin University campus, Darwin, NT, October 2020]

This photo shows the enormous size of a 1-day old chick compared to the size of the egg that it hatched from
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin University campus, Darwin, NT, October 2020]

Masked Lapwing nest with a "standard" clutch of 4 eggs (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, October 2020]

The same Masked Lapwing nest as above, with 3 hatched chicks; the fourth is just cracking its egg shell
(photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, November 2020]

Masked Lapwing ready to defend its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2017]

Masked Lapwing defending its nest (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, October 2020]

Masked Lapwing defending its nest (photo courtesy of K. Ohlsen)
[Acacia Hills, NT, October 2020]

Race "novaehollandiae"

Masked Lapwing on its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, June 2019]

Masked Lapwing nest with 4 eggs in it
[Near Narrabri, NSW, September 2005]

Masked Lapwing on its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Coolmunda, near Inglewood, QLD, November 2024]

Here a more grassy Masked Lapwing nest (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2015]

While these tiny Masked Lapwing chicks were hatching... (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2015]

... the parents, according to the photographer, were "not at all happy" (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2015]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 46 x 33 mm

Colour: Olive-green with dark-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Close-up view of a Masked Lapwing nest with a full complement of 4 eggs in it; the same nest had been used by the same pair the year before
[Near Narrabri, NSW, September 2006]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/family

Masked Lapwings return to the same nest site every year and place the nest in the exact same spot, as precisely as they can remember. When there are eggs in the nest (just a scrape in the ground) or chicks around, one had best not approach too closely. Plovers are not afraid to swoop on, and make contact with, humans venturing too far.

Outside the breeding season Masked Lapwings can flock to feed, e.g. in mudflats, in numbers going into the hundreds.

Masked Lapwings protect not only their nest, but also their chicks (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Murrumba Downs, near Brisbane, QLD, in July 2017]

People with decades of bird-watching experience report that in the past Banded Lapwings were the most common type of lapwing in inland NSW. These days their numbers have declined drastically, at least in north-west NSW, and the dominant species is now the Masked Lapwing. One possible explanation for this shift could be that Banded Lapwings prefer shorter grass than Masked Lapwings, which has become less abundant with the shift from sheep to cattle brought about by the decline in the price of wool.

Food, Diet

Frontal view of a Masked Lapwing with its prey, an earth worm
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, August 2015]

One animal's refuse is another's resource; immature Masked Lapwing poking around in cow dung
[20 km South of Narrabri, NSW, January 2008]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

plover_20140817.m4a	miles (Top End, NT)	Upset (in-flight)	© MD
plover_20140817_2.m4a	miles (Top End, NT)	Upset (in-flight)	© MD
plover_20220124.m4a	novaehollandiae (NW NSW)	Contact calls? + warning calls	© MD
plover_20220130.m4a	novaehollandiae (NW NSW)	Warning calls (in-flight)	© MD
plover_art_20140123_2.m4a	novaehollandiae (SE QLD)	Warning calls	© ART
plover_20260807.m4a	novaehollandiae (NW NSW)	Alarm calls (in-flight; Brown Falcon)	© MD
plover_art_20140123.m4a	novaehollandiae (SE QLD)	Alarm call	© ART
plover_20150327.m4a	novaehollandiae (NE NSW)	Alarm calls (in-flight)	© MD

More Masked Lapwing sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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