9

Red-wattled Lapwing (Hoplopterus indicus) Alternate name(s): "Red-wattled Plover" Size: 32-35 cm; wing span 80-85 cm Body mass: 110-230 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.25-0.40

Oman: Family Group 9 Family Group 9 Table Eurasian Stone-curlew Eurasian Oystercatcher Black-winged Stilt Common Ringed Plover Greater Sand Plover Tibetan Sand Plover Pacific Golden Plover Grey Plover White-tailed Lapwing Red-wattled Lapwing Spur-winged Lapwing Cream-coloured Courser Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds of Oman home page

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Red-wattled Lapwings medium-sized waders. They have a black head, except for the ear coverts and the sides of the neck, with red wattles on the lores and bare red skin eye-rings. The front is dominated by a large black "bib", while the rest of the front (belly, vent, undertail coverts, flanks) is white. The back (mantle, inner wings) is greyish-brown. Beyond a white wing bar the outer flight feathers are black. The rump is white, while the tail has a wide black subterminal band and a white terminal band. The irises are orange, the bill is red, with a black tip. The very long legs and feet are greyish-yellow to yellow. Juvenile birds have grey feathers where adults are black.

Taxonomy, classification See Red-wattled Lapwing at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat 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 Red-wattled Lapwing is available HERE . Red-wattled Lapwings are a mostly sedentary species. Their breeding range extends from western Asia, from the Euphrates/Tigris lowlands in Iraq, via south-western Iran and the North coast of Arabia, eastwards across southern Asia (Baluchistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the entire Indian subcontinent up to Kanyakumari and up to 1800 m in Kashmir/Nepal). A second race resides further East, in parts of South-east Asia (up to Malaysia and Vietnam). Where they breed at high altitude, Red-wattled Plovers may migrate altitudinally into suitable lowland habitats during the monsoon. In Arabia Red-wattled Lapwings are breeding residents along the northern coastal fringe along the Persian Gulf, including the North coast of Oman. Elsewhere in the northern part of the peninsula they may be seen as vagrants. Red-wattled Lapwings are mostly found around fresh water, such as ponds, lakes or marshes, but also in gardens and urban parks.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Red-wattled Lapwings are permanent residents on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat. Several pairs/families were seen by us there in the timeframe August 2009 to May 2010.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an adult Red-wattled Lapwing
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Near-frontal view of a Red-wattled Lapwing
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Close-up lateral view of a Red-wattled Lapwing
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Different light conditions change the appearance slightly; note how in this photo the legs of the Red-wattled Lapwing appear to be brighter yellow
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Dorsal view of a Red-wattled Lapwing
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, October 2009]

Lateral view of a Red-wattled Lapwing in flight

Red-wattled Lapwing in flight seen from underneath
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Adult Red-wattled Lapwing, left, with a juvenile
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Lateral view of a juvenile Red-wattled Lapwing going for a bath
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Nobody looking?
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

OK, then dip in...
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Red-wattled Lapwing; note the greyish "bib" and crown
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Adult Red-wattled Lapwing caught by surprise, with a chick out in the open; note the clear black-and-white colour pattern on the chick's neck
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]

Red-wattled Lapwing chick hiding, making use of its excellent camouflage; now the black-and-white colour pattern on the neck is almost completely hidden from view
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]

This is the other Red-wattled Lapwing chick's sibling, also pretending to be a stone; both chicks are still quite young - one can still see the horn used to crack open the egg shell
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, May 2010]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Pair

Red-wattled Lapwings are very vigilant and combative birds that defend their nests and their territories. As such they are used by other birds, for example by Grey Francolins, as sentries.

Red-wattled Lapwing raising an alarm
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, April 2010]

Red-wattled Lapwing approaching a pond to take a bath
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

Dip in to check the water temperature...; the guy in the background who looks like a member of "Baywatch" is a Common Myna
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

... then start the real big splash...
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

... and finally really go for it!
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

Food, Diet

Adult Red-wattled Lapwing having a drink
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Juvenile Red-wattled Lapwing drinking
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.