The white-crowned lapwing, white-headed lapwing, white-headed plover or white-crowned plover (Vanellus albiceps) is a medium-sized wader. It is resident throughout tropical Africa, usually near large rivers.
| White-crowned lapwing | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Charadriidae |
| Genus: | Vanellus |
| Species: | V. albiceps
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| Binomial name | |
| Vanellus albiceps Gould, 1834
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| Synonyms | |
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Hoplopterus albiceps (Gould, 1834) | |
Description
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This lapwing is unmistakable. Its wings and tail are strikingly patterned in black and white, the back is brown and the underparts white. The head is particularly striking, being mainly grey, but with a white crown and foreneck. The eyering, facial wattles and legs are yellow. Females, males and young birds are similar in plumage.
Behaviour
editIt is a wader which breeds on exposed sand or shingle near rivers. 2–3 eggs are laid in a ground scrape. The nest and young are defended noisily and aggressively against all intruders, up to and including the hippopotamus.
Food is mainly insects and other small invertebrates. This species often feeds in small flocks when not breeding.
Status
editThe white-crowned lapwing is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
References
edit- ^ BirdLife International (2017) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Vanellus albiceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22694021A112134563. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22694021A112134563.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
Shorebirds by Hayman, Marchant and Prater ISBN 0-7099-2034-2
External links
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- White-crowned plover - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.