Black-winged Lapwing Vanellus melanopterus Scientific name definitions

This striking and elegant plover is patchily distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, where it stretches from Ethiopia south to South Africa. A bird of dry, open habitats most times of the year, some populations of Black-winged Lapwing are migratory, where those migratory populations move to lower elevations after breeding. Like other lapwings, it is very vocal, and its loud screams can be heard throughout the year, day and night.

26–27 cm; 163–214 g (1 Dunning, J. B., Jr. (2008). CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses. Second edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA. Close ) (subspecies minor). Very similar to Senegal Lapwing (V. lugubris), but larger, with legs averaging slightly shorter; sheen on upperparts bronze to purplish, not greenish; generally larger, more diffuse white forehead patch ; broader black breastband; in flight, secondaries black, not white. Sexes alike. No seasonal variation. Juvenile has gray areas of adult pale brown; feathers of upperparts have broad buff fringes.

Sometimes placed in Hoplopterus or Stephanibyx. Probably close to Senegal Lapwing (V. lugubris), but some behavioral and morphological differences.

Two subspecies recognized.

Several disjunct populations, including the Ethiopian highlands and Eritrea, southwest Kenya to central Tanzania, and eastern South Africa (Mpumalanga south to eastern Western Cape and Eastern Cape) and Swaziland. Population in southern Africa winters on coast, from extreme southern Mozambique to eastern Western Cape.

Often occupies highland plains and grassland on high plateaux, mountain slopes, open plains and dry savanna; nominate race largely confined to areas between 1,360m and 3,000 m (3 Ash, J. S., and J. Atkins (2009). Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: An Atlas of Distribution. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), whereas minor often occurs at lower altitudes, nesting down to sea-level in South Africa (4 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ), though breeds at 2,750–3,050 m in Kenya (2 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK, and New York, NY, USA. Close ). Attracted to areas with game animals and burnt fields with newly grown grass. In winter, found at lower altitudes, when also occurs in wasteland, cultivated fields and coastal flats.

Resident and intra-African migrant: migratory in most of East Africa, but sedentary in Ethiopia, although there are five records in adjacent northwestern Somalia (February, May, and August) (5 Ash, J. S., and J. E. Miskell (1998). Birds of Somalia. Pica Press, Robertsbridge, UK. Close , 6 Mills, M. S. L., and C. Cohen (2015). Birds of Somalia: new records, range extensions and observations from Somaliland. Scopus 34:31–39. Close ); migratory in South Africa. In August–September, after breeding, birds in Kenya migrate to lower altitudes, 1,500–2,000 m lower, returning in January–April. In South Africa most birds descend to coastal plains after breeding (April–August); occasional stragglers reach western Cape. Migrates both at night and during day. During non-breeding season, occurs in flocks of up to 50 birds, occasionally hundreds or even thousands, and possibly up to 10,000 prior to migration.

Molluscs, worms, adult and larval insects, such as beetles and flies, sometimes small fish. Often feeds in vicinity of wild or domestic animals . When foraging, runs quickly , freezes with body tilted forward and pointing at prey, and stabs 5–6 times.

Vocal Development

Little information. Chicks utter soft pseeuw notes (maximum frequency about 6-7 kHz, duration approximately 0.4 s of which ⁓0.1 s upslurred and ⁓0.3 s downslurred). Young remain with the parents during the first year until the next breeding season, but information about vocal development is not available (7 Ward, D. (1989). Feeding ecology of Crowned, Blackwinged and Lesser Blackwinged Plovers. Ostrich. 60(3): 97–102. Close ).

Vocal Array

Ki-ki-kirreeek. The most common and diagnostic vocalization is a series of 2-10 (or more) short nasal overslurred kik notes followed by a grating rolling drawn-out kirreeek (the latter somewhat like a Tern). In long bouts of this vocalization, kik and kirreeek notes are alternated in a continuous series kirreeek...kik-kik-kik...kirreeek..kik-kik-kik....kirreeek, and a pair or members of a group may also vocalize simultaneously.

Kik. Short overslurred kik notes, as in previous vocalization, are also given as single notes or in short series without leading to the kirreeek call.

Kikikikik. A short fast staccato series of tinny overslurred kik notes is typically given when flushed and taking-off.

Kirrrrr. A single kik note is immediately followed by a fast decrescendo rattle of some 8-15 notes, for a total duration of about 0.3-0.5 s.

Krrr. A short grating rattle

Geographic Variation

Has not been studied in detail, but no obvious vocal differences between the subspecies or disjunct populations.

Phenology

Ki-ki-kirreeek, kik and kikikikik calls can be heard year-round, but significantly more during the breeding period, when birds are highly territorial. Kirrrr and Krrr calls are presumably only uttered when nestlings have hatched.

Daily Pattern of Vocalizing

Mainly vocal during the day, without a clear daily cycle, and can occasionally also be heard at night. Vocal activity mainly determined by daily activities, such as keeping contact with group or family members, alarming for intruders, and breeding activities.

Places of Vocalizing

Vocalizes from the ground or when flying, either when flushed or when circling around an intruder.

Sex Differences

No information.

Social Content and Presumed Functions of Vocalizations

A behavioral study in South Africa (with color-marked birds; 8 Ward, D.M. (1987). The biology and systematic relationship of Crowned, Blackwinged and Lesser Blackwinged Plovers. PhD study. Pietermaritsburg. Close , 7 Ward, D. (1989). Feeding ecology of Crowned, Blackwinged and Lesser Blackwinged Plovers. Ostrich. 60(3): 97–102. Close ) noted the following: at the onset of the breeding season the male utters ki-ki-kirreeek calls to establish territory and attract a mate. The male flies over the chosen territory in a display-like butterfly flight with exaggerated wing-beats while calling. The female joins in with a similar butterfly-flight, and upon alighting, again kirreeek calls are uttered, eventually leading to copulation. Intraspecific competition between males is also accompanied by kirreeek calls. During nest defense, birds fly towards intruders uttering Kik calls, or when a predator is at close range with alarming ki-ki-kirreeek calls. Kikikikik call is used when flushed and taking off. Kirrrr and Krrr are likely vocalizations used in contact with the offspring, the former indicating danger and the latter possibly an all-clear signal.

None documented.

Laying Mar–Jul in Ethiopia (3 Ash, J. S., and J. Atkins (2009). Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: An Atlas of Distribution. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); year-round in Kenya and Tanzania, depending on rains, and avoiding wettest period; Jul–Oct in South Africa. Monogamous. Territorial. Solitary, but sometimes in small, loose colonies, with adjacent nests 50 m apart (4 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ). Performs post-copulatory display consisting of side-by-side run, with wing on outside partly raised. Breeds in grassland, usually with very short grass; also on bare ground or ploughed land; nest is a scrape (125–200 mm wide) (4 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ), lined with plant material and sometimes dung; eggs sometimes partly buried. Clutch three eggs (2–4), pale olive-brown to buff marked with black and brown, size 36·5–46·5 mm × 26·7–31·3 mm, mass c. 18 g (2 Urban, E. K., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith, Editors (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, UK, and New York, NY, USA. Close ); incubated 27–28 days, by both adults, starting when clutch is complete; chick apparently undescribed, but fledging period is 29–31 days, being tended by both sexes (4 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Status of race <em>melanopterus</em> poorly known, but pre-migratory flocks of several thousand birds recorded in W Kenya, and overall estimate of 10,000–50,000 birds has been made (9 Delaney, S. and D. Scott, Editors (2002). Waterbird Population Estimates. Third edition. Wetlands International Global Series No. 12. Wageningen, the Netherlands. Close ). Race minor is rather common to locally abundant, although numbers in South Africa are thought to be just 2000–3000 individuals (with unknown numbers in Kenya and Tanzania) (9 Delaney, S. and D. Scott, Editors (2002). Waterbird Population Estimates. Third edition. Wetlands International Global Series No. 12. Wageningen, the Netherlands. Close ). Type locality in Arabia may be erroneous, as no other records there known.