Gray-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus Scientific name definitions

34–37 cm; 236–296 g; wingspan 75–76 cm. Large, rather plain lapwing with grey head , neck and upper breast, black breastband  , brown upper­parts and white belly  ; secondaries and greater upperwing-coverts white, primaries black ; tail white with black tip; iris red, bill yellow with black tip, legs yellow. In flight, upperwing pattern is rather reminiscent of that of V. gregarius, but unlike latter, black in primaries and brown coverts are separated by white feathering. Sexes alike. Non-breeding adult has browner head and neck, black breastband partially obscured; chin and throat white, streaked brown. Juvenile has brown head and neck; breastband absent or obscure; extensively fringed buff on upperparts.

NE & E China (Inner Mongolia, C Manchuria, Jiangsu, Fujian), neighbouring parts of Russia and Japan (Honshu). Non-breeding in S Asia from Nepal, N (1 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2012). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 and 2. Second edition. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Michigan State University and Lynx Edicions, Washington, DC, Michigan, MI, and Barcelona, Spain. Close , 2 BirdLife International (2013). IUCN Red List for birds. URL: http://www.birdlife.org (download Aug 2013). Close ) & NE India and Bangladesh to SC China and N Indochina, occasionally farther S.

Breeds in rather undisturbed areas in swamps, near rivers and rice fields. In winter also found in other wet habitats, like marshes, riverbanks, wet grassland, rice stubble, jheels; also ploughed fields. Principally found below 1300 m (1 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2012). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 and 2. Second edition. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Michigan State University and Lynx Edicions, Washington, DC, Michigan, MI, and Barcelona, Spain. Close ).

Mainly migratory, but sedentary in places. Breeding populations of NE China and SE Russia winter in SE Asia . Japanese population partially sedentary, with birds in N of range avoiding snow by migrating S. Present in N & NE India from Sept/Oct to late Mar/Apr, more exceptionally reaching S India (e.g. Tamil Nadu, where records have been increasing in the last decade) (3 Sundar, K.S.G. (2000). The greyheaded lapwing, Vanellus cinereus (Blyth) in Kaliveli Tank, Tamil Nadu. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 97(2): 277–278. Close , 4 Santharam, V., Ali, R. and Prieto, P. (2006). Grey-headed Lapwings Vanellus cinereus extend range into coastal Tamil Nadu, India. Indian Birds. 2(6): 172–173. Close ), as well as Sri Lanka (2009) and parts of W India, although whether this reflects simply better observer coverage or a true expansion of winter range is presently unclear (5 Eriksen, J., Eriksen, H., Victor, J. and Victor, R. (2015). A new record of Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus in Goa and an update on its distribution in India. BirdingASIA. 23: 94–95. Close ), and records in Thai-Malay Peninsula span mid Sept to mid Apr (6 Wells, D. R. (1999). The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Volume 1. Non-passerines. Academic Press, London, UK. Close ), although return to breeding grounds commences in mid Feb, and there is one summer record (Jul 1970) from Indochina (in Cambodia) (7 Thomas, W.W. and Poole, C.M. (2003). An annotated list of the birds of Cambodia from 1859 to 19711139. Forktail 19: 1111393–127. Close ). Vagrant to Middle East (Oman, Jan 2012) (8 Harrison, I. and Grieve, A. (2012). Around the region. Sandgrouse. 34(2): 189–203. Close , 9 Harrison, I. (2013). From the Rarities Committees. Sandgrouse 35(1):82–86. Close ) and Philippines  (Batan I, Nov and Dec; Luzon, Jan; Babuyan Is, Apr 2004) (10 Allen, D., C. P. Española, G. Broad, C. Oliveros, and J. C. T. Gonzalez (2006). New bird records for the Babuyan Islands, Philippines, including two first records for the Philippines. Forktail 22:57–70. Close ), as well as further W in Russia (e.g. L Baikal) (11 Mlíkovský, J. (2009). Waterbirds of Lake Baikal, eastern Siberia, Russia. Forktail 25:13–70. Close ), South Korea, Borneo (Brunei and Sarawak) (12 Mann, C. F. (2008). The Birds of Borneo: An Annotated Checklist. B.O.U. Checklist 23. British Ornithologists’ Union, and British Ornithologists’ Club, Peterborough. Close ), Sulawesi, Singapore (13 Robson, C. (2000). A Field Guide to the Birds of South-east Asia. New Holland, London, UK. Close ), Sri Lanka , Andaman & Nicobar Is, and Australia (New South Wales, Jun–Oct 2006) (14 Clarke, R.H., Davis, K. and Davis, B. (2008). A Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus at Burren Junction, New South Wales: the first record for Australia. Austr. Field Orn.. 25(4): 194–197. Close ). Outside breeding season occurs in flocks of 5–50 birds

No information available; probably feeds on insects, worms and molluscs. Often wades in water while foraging (1 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2012). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 and 2. Second edition. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Michigan State University and Lynx Edicions, Washington, DC, Michigan, MI, and Barcelona, Spain. Close ). Gregarious, especially in winter, when regularly recorded in flocks of 40–50 birds, sometimes > 100, often consorting with other shorebird species (1 Rasmussen, P. C., and J. C. Anderton (2012). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Volumes 1 and 2. Second edition. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Michigan State University and Lynx Edicions, Washington, DC, Michigan, MI, and Barcelona, Spain. Close ).

Mostly silent, at least in winter, but flying birds occasionally give a sharp “kik” note, a plaintive and insistent “chee-it” is uttered from the ground, and a rasping three-noted alarm call, “did-all-eet” or “cha-ha-eet”, is heard year-round.

Season Mar–Apr in Japan (15 Ohno, Y. (1996). Effects of nesting Gray-headed Lapwings Microsarcops cinereus on the intensity of the artificial nest predation by Carrion Crows Corvus corone. Jap. J. Orn.. 45(2): 91–99. Close ). Monogamous. Territorial. Breeds in undisturbed wetlands, e.g. river flats; but also in rice fields; nest is scrape, often lined with twigs. Clutch four eggs; incubation 28–29 days; chicks fledge mid Jun, and families soon merge into flocks. In Japan, nest predators include Carrion Crows (Corvus corone), raptors (e.g. harriers Circus spp.) and domestic dogs, among others (15 Ohno, Y. (1996). Effects of nesting Gray-headed Lapwings Microsarcops cinereus on the intensity of the artificial nest predation by Carrion Crows Corvus corone. Jap. J. Orn.. 45(2): 91–99. Close ),
while farming practices also seriously affect breeding success (16 Takahashi, M. and Ohkawara, K. (2007). Breeding behavior and reproductive success of Grey-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus on farmland in central Japan. Ornithological Science. 6(1): 1–9. Close ).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Previously considered Near Threatened. Population, excluding Japan, numbers less than 10,000–25,000 birds, and probably decreasing, with largest numbers wintering in India (e.g. Kaziranga National Park) (17 Barua, M., and P. Sharma (1999). Birds of Kaziranga National Park, India. Forktail 15:47–60. Close ) and Bangladesh, although significant numbers (> 500 individuals) were observed in parts of C Vietnam, in 1990, during non-specific surveys (18 Robson, C. R., J. C. Eames, Nguyen Cu, and Truong Van La (1993). Further recent records of birds from Vietnam. Forktail 8:25–52. Close ), with smaller numbers in neighbouring Laos (19 Thewlis, R. M., R. J. Timmins, T. D. Evans, and J. W. Duckworth (1998). The conservation status of birds in Laos: a review of key species. Bird Conservation International 8(Supplement):1–159. Close , 20 Duckworth, J.W., Davidson, P., Evans, T.D., Round, P.D. and Timmins, R.J. (2002). Bird records from Laos, principally the Upper Lao/Thai Mekong and Xiangkhouang Province, in 1998–2110821108211082. Forktail. 18: 11–44. Close , 21 Duckworth, J.W. and Tizard, R.J. (2003). W.W. Thomas’s bird records from Laos, principally Vientiane, 1966–1968 and 1981–1983. Forktail 19:63–84. Close ); size of Japanese population unknown. On wintering grounds, potential problems through pesticides, especially herbicides on paddy fields, and through increased urbanization, as well as hunting (at least locally) (19 Thewlis, R. M., R. J. Timmins, T. D. Evans, and J. W. Duckworth (1998). The conservation status of birds in Laos: a review of key species. Bird Conservation International 8(Supplement):1–159. Close ); in Japan, at S end of breeding range, increasing frequency of double-cropping, instead of single-cropping, in rice fields may negatively affect breeding opportunities.