Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus Scientific name definitions

This large, boldly patterned plover is distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa. With bold plumage patches of black, white, and gray, Blacksmith Lapwings are striking in appearance. Like many other lapwings, they are very vocal, with their metallic tink! calls frequently heard in dry, open habitats near water. Their loud calls are reminiscent of a hammer on an anvil, which gives the bird their common name. They are common throughout their large distribution, and are therefore not considered to face any immediate conservation concerns, and in fact appears to be increasing and expanding its range, especially in South Africa.

28–31 cm; 114–213 g. Medium-sized lapwing with contrasting plumage colours ; glossy black face, foreneck and back , white crown and hindneck, grey upperwing-coverts ; black carpal spurs . Sexes alike; female has shorter wing-spurs. No seasonal variation. Juvenile has brownish crown, white chin and throat; black feathers between grey scapulars and upperwing-coverts and all black feathers have buff fringes.

Formerly placed in monospecific genus Anitibyx; sometimes included in Hoplopterus. Has hybridized with V. spinosus in Malawi and probably in Kenya (1 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ). Monotypic.

• Blacksmith x White-crowned Lapwing (hybrid) Vanellus armatus x albiceps

Angola to C Tanzania and CS Kenya, and S (except on coast of Namibia) to South Africa.

Dry areas near water , such as lagoons, lakes, rivers, dams, waterholes, sewage farms and marshes; also mudflats, sodaflats and floodplains. Often flies to open country to forage. Sometimes roosts in flocks on islets. Recorded to 1400 m in Zambia (2 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ) and 1200 m in Malawi (1 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ).

Mainly sedentary. Occurs as non-breeding migrant in DRCongo and a vagrant in Burundi. Local movements occur due to flooding, e.g. in Malawi (1 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ), but some of these may be complex and it has been suggested that three different populations occupy Zimbabwe, namely a local breeding population that is probably nomadic to some extent; second, birds from more arid areas of Botswana are suspected to move into Zimbabwe to breed; and third, birds from further N move S into the country during the wet season, but in years of very high rainfall may be forced to possibly continue to Botswana or South Africa (3 Tree, A.J. (1998). Movements of the Blacksmith Plover in south-central Africa. Honeyguide. 44(2): 199–203. Close ). Forms non-breeding flocks of up to 100 birds, exceptionally even 200–300 individuals (3 Tree, A.J. (1998). Movements of the Blacksmith Plover in south-central Africa. Honeyguide. 44(2): 199–203. Close ). Exceptional vagrant to St Helena (Jul 1995) (4 Rowlands, B.W., Trueman, T., Olson, S.L., McCulloch, M.N. and Brooke, R.K. (1998). The Birds of St. Helena. An Annotated Check-list. BOU Check-list 16. British Ornithologists’ Union, Tring, UK. Close ), Europa I (May 1994) (5 Safford, R. J., and A. F. A. Hawkins, Editors (2013). The Birds of Africa. Volume 8. The Malagasy Region. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), Prince Edward I (Dec 2001) (6 Cooper, J. and Underhill, L.G. (2002). Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus on Prince Edward Island, Southern Ocean. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 97: 47–48. Close ) and even the Crozets (7 Stahl, J. C., H. Weimerskirch, and V. Ridoux (1984). Observations récentes d’oiseaux marins et terrestres visiteurs dans les îles Crozet, sud-ouest de l’Océan Indien. Gerfaut 74:39–46. Close ).

Feeds on molluscs, crustaceans, worms and insects in typical plover style. Also forages by foot-trembling, pecking from water surface while wading, and hunting for insects by turning over dung pats. Forages on ploughed land and agricultural fields and among cattle.

The commonest vocalization of the Blacksmith Lapwing is a repeated sharp metallic tink, like a blacksmith's hammer on an anvil, which explains its name. Like most Vanellus lapwings, they are highly territorial, and whenever an intruder comes close to the nesting area, they will defend and mob the intruder with dive-bombing flights while calling loudly.

Vocal Development

No information.

Vocal Array

Tink. A short, metallic nasal note tink or kit!, typically repeated at steady intervals. This is the species' most common vocalization, which recalls a blacksmith’s hammer on an anvil, hence its name. Notes may vary from very short metallic staccato kit notes to slightly longer more grating krrt notes pending on the bird’s level of excitement. Equally so, amplitude and pace of the delivered series is highly variable depending on the context. Tik notes have a duration of about 0.05 s, with fundamental frequency concentrated around 2 kHz; krrt notes reach about 0.08 s with similar frequency characteristics but seem rather polyphonic on the sonogram. Pace varies from about 2 notes/s in low intensity to 4 notes/s in excited alarm.

Killy. An accelerating series of piercing nasal modulated notes, which often starts with a single more grating note: krreet...killeee...killee...killy..killy-killy-killy. A series has some 5-12 notes and lasts about 2.0-4.5 s, with fundamental frequency modulating between about 1.5 and 2.0 kHz. Sometimes, two members of a pair may utter such series simultaneously at about the same pace.

Kerrweek. A series of (near-)identical grating or burry kerrweeek notes. Possibly only a more excited, burry version of the previous vocalization, although typically not given in an accelerated series as in previous vocalization.

Krrrrrrk. A series of drawn-out growling or grating screeches. Note duration about 0.5 s.

Other. A low chuck-chuck by adults to the chick as it hatches, and a twittering call quite unlike any other in the repertoire, during copulation (8 Hall, K.R.L. (1964). A study of the Blacksmith Plover (Hoplopterus armatus Burchel) in the Cape Town area. Ostrich. 35(1): 3–16. Close , 9 Urban, E. K. J., C. H. Fry, and S. Keith (1986). The Birds of Africa. Volume 2. Academic Press, London, United Kingdom. Close ).

Geographic Variation

Has not been studied in detail, but no indication of any geographic variation.

Phenology

Little information. Most vocalizations can be heard year-round. Presumably somewhat more vocal during breeding period, when strongly territorial.

Daily Pattern of Vocalizing

Vocal all day without a clear daily cycle. 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

Tink call is the most common vocalization. In a relaxed state it is used as a contact call between members of a pair or group, and also towards chicks. With increased disturbance and arousal of a bird, Tink calls become louder, more emphasized, and are given at a faster pace, and birds may take off to fly towards the source of disturbance. When birds threaten an intruder, screeching Krrrrrrk notes are uttered while circling around. Killy and Kerrweek call have been linked to pair formation, but have also been used in the context of territorial defense. It seems to express excitement rather than alarm or aggressive intention (8 Hall, K.R.L. (1964). A study of the Blacksmith Plover (Hoplopterus armatus Burchel) in the Cape Town area. Ostrich. 35(1): 3–16. Close ).

None documented.

Laying in all months throughout range; frequently at start of dry season, especially Jul–Oct (peak Aug–Sept) in S Africa (10 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ), but also frequently from Apr in Zambia (2 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ). Monogamous. Territorial and solitarily, with nests at least 400 m apart (South Africa); intraspecific aggression rare. Courtship activity occurs in non-breeding flocks, often involving 3–5 birds. Nest is shallow scrape or depression (c. 140 mm wide by 40 mm deep) (11 Parkes, D.A. (2011). Notes on the birds of Lake Gambue, Mozambique and breeding records of the Lesser Black-winged Plover. Honeyguide. 57(2): 130–133. Close ), variably lined with pebbles, plant material and debris; located on ground or in short grass, usually very close to water, but occasionally 100s of metres away in sites more usually favoured by V. coronatus and sometimes, in wettest situations, builds a more substantial nest reminiscent of that of Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) (10 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ). Clutch three eggs (1–4, clutches of 5–6 suspected to be product of two females) (10 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ), cream, buff, sandy or olive spotted black, dark brown or dark grey-green, size 37–42·5 mm × 27–30·7 mm, mass c. 16·5 g (12 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 ); sometimes double-brooded (using new site 50–150 m away) and will also lay a replacement, if first is lost early (10 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ); incubation 23–31 days, by both sexes, starting with first egg (10 Tarboton, W. (2001). A Guide to the Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds. Struik Publishers, Cape Town, South Africa. Close ); chick (c. 11 g on hatching) has upperparts mixed brown and buff, underparts and collar white; fledging 40–41 days (13 Tjørve, K.M.C., Underhill, L.G. and Visser, G.H. (2008). The energetic implications of precocial development for three shorebird species breeding in a warm environment. Ibis. 150(1): 125–138 Close ); chicks of first brood remain with adults until hatching of second brood. Main causes of egg and chick loss are flooding and predation (e.g. by crows, gulls, coots and jackals) (12 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 ). Hatching success 40% in one Kenyan study (12 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 ). Adult annual survival rate estimated at c. 65% (14 Collingham, Y. C., B. Huntley, R. Altwegg, P. Barnard, O. S. Beveridge, R. D. Gregory, L. R. Mason, H. D. Oschadleus, R. E. Simmons, S. G. Willis, and R. E. Green (2014). Prediction of mean adult survival rates of southern African birds from demographic and ecological covariates. Ibis 156(4):741–754. Close ). Lifespan at least ten years (2 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). No population estimates available; generally common to locally abundant. In Zimbabwe, has benefited from increasing availability of artificial water supplies. Only recently found S of Orange R and Natal, but range now extending to coasts of SE Cape; reached W Cape in 1939, where first bred in 1947. Total of 2100 birds counted in South Africa in 1986, mostly in W & S Cape.