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Northern LapwingAlternate name(s): "Lapwing", "Green Plover", "Peewit", "Pewit", "Tuit", "Tew-it" ![]() Size: 28-33 cm; wing span: 67-87 cm Weight: 130-330 g |
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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MALE |
Near-frontal view of a male Northern Lapwing in breeding
plumage;
note the solid-black chest band
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2017]
Near-lateral view of a male(?) Northern Lapwing in breeding
plumage
in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, December 2017]
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FEMALE |
Lateral view of a female(?) Northern Lapwing in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, July 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a female(?) Northern Lapwing in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2018]
Northern Lapwings in a submerged meadow; the bird in the front right
is possibly a female (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2017]
Sex unknown |
Overview of the habitat in which a large flock of Northern
Lapwings was found (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2017]
Near-dorsal view of a Northern Lapwing in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Between Harlesiel and Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]
Near-dorsal view of a Northern Lapwing in flight; note the
characteristic black-and-white uppertail, with very narrow
white tips; below two
European Golden Plovers
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, February 2021]
Northern Lapwings in flight (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2017]
Large flock of Northern Lapwings, indicating that these birds are
still in their winter quarters (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2017]
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NON-BREEDING |
In eclipse the sexes can only be separated by getting a good view of the primary wing feathers.
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MALE |
Near-frontal view of a male Northern Lapwing moulting out of
breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2020]
Lateral/ventral view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage in
flight; the "broad hand", i.e. the prominently visible
ends of the primary flight feathers, suggest(s) that this
is a male
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2019]
Sex unknown |
Frontal view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, Fareham, Hampshire,
England, September 2019]
Frontal view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage
compared to a feeding female
Northern Shoveler
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, Fareham, Hampshire,
England, September 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage;
note the rufous wash on the head
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Aguas de Moura, Palmela, Setubal, Portugal, January 2021]
Near-lateral view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, Fareham, Hampshire,
England, September 2019]
Lateral view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, Fareham, Hampshire,
England, September 2019]
Lateral view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, Fareham, Hampshire,
England, September 2019]
Lateral view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2018]
Lateral view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2020]
Lateral view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2020]
Lateral view of a Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, November 2021]
Northern Lapwings in non-breeding
plumage
resting together with a
Common Redshank
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve, Fareham, Hampshire,
England, September 2019]
Northern Lapwings in non-breeding
plumage,
together with several species of very similar waders:
Green Sandpiper,
front left,
Wood Sandpiper,
near the centre, and all others are
Common Sandpipers
(photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, July 2019]
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Food, Diet |
Northern Lapwings feed on insects and other small invertibrates, usually foraging near the edge of, or in, shallow water.
Feeding technique of Northern Lapwings (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, March 2017]
This Northern Lapwing in non-breeding
plumage
has been digging up dirt
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, January 2020]
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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.
lapwing_dw_20170409.m4a | (Poland) | Pair courting | © DW | |
lapwing_jp_20230130.mp3 | (Portugal) | ? | © JP |
More Northern Lapwing sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.