© GW - monacoeye • Gambia, Feb 2013.

Bird name: Black Headed Lapwing
Latin: Vanellus tectus
Other: Black-headed Plover, Vanneau à tête noire (Fr), Schwarzschopfkiebitz (De), pavoncella testanera (It)
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings & Plovers
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa, Senegal, Gambia, to Ethiopia.
Similar: Spur-winged Lapwing

The Black-headed Lapwing was found on arid ground, a habitat it often feeds in. We saw them up river, including on MacCarthy Island.

The Black-headed Lapwing has bright pink legs, bill base and forehead. Long black crest, yellow iris.

© Black-headed Lapwing, near Janjanbureh, Gambia, Feb 2013.
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© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013.

Bird name: Spur Winged Lapwing
Latin: Vanellus spinosus
Other: Spur-winged Plover, Vanneau à éperons (fr), Spornkiebitz (De)
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings & Plovers
Range: E Mediterranean to Arabian Peninsular and sub-Saharan Africa
Similar:

The Spur-winged Lapwing has shoulder spurs, which it uses to charge down predators and intruders, but they are generally not visible.

In Gambia the Spur-winged Lapwing was one of the most typical birds near water, irrigated gardens etc. Seen in most locations with water.

Spur-winged Lapwing, Gambia, Feb 2013.


Spur-winged Lapwing, Gambia, Feb 2013.
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© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013.

Bird name: African Wattled Lapwing
Latin: Vanellus senegallus
Other: Vanneau du Sénégal (fr)
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings & Plovers
Range: Sub-saharan Africa
Similar:

The African Wattled Lapwing is a large lapwing with bright yellow wattles and red forehead. Marakissa River Camp was a good location to see these birds, in the Gambia.

African Wattled Lapwing, Marakissa, Gambia, Feb 2013.
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© GW - monacoeye • Gambia, Feb 2013.

Bird name: Grey Plover
Latin: Pluvialis squatarola
Other: Black Bellied Plover (US) • Pluvier argenté (Fr), chorlito gris (Es), tarambola-cinzenta (Pt), Kustpiparen (Sv), Tundralo (No)
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings & Plovers
Range: Worldwide
Similar: American Golden Plover

Above, Grey Plover feeding on exposed rocks at low tide, in the Gambia, February.

Below, Grey Plover (or Black-Bellied Plover) were seen on the beach by the airport in Panama City in good numbers, mixed with other seabirds, in May.

In full breeding plumage they have a well-defined black band running from face to belly. The others are in non-breeding plumage.

Grey Plover breed in the Arctic and migrate to southern coastlines worldwide in the northern winter.

Costa del Este, Panama, 9 May 2010
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© GW - monacoeye, all rights reserved • Gambia, Feb 2013.

Bird name: Common Ringed Plover
Latin: Charadrius hiaticula
Other: Pluvier Grand Gravelot (fr), chorlitejo grande (Es), borrelho-grande-de-coleira (Pt), Sandregenpfeifer (De), Större strandpipare (Sv)
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings & Plovers
Range: N Eurasia, Arctic Canada, migrating S to Africa etc
Similar: Little Ringed Plover, Semipalmated Plover

Above, Common Ringed Plovers on beach in Gambia. Identified by orange legs, broad white supercilium (non-breeding plumage), orange bill base (breeding plumage).

Common Ringed Plover in flight as they swept past the mouth of the Var in Nice…

Common Ringed Plover in flight, Var in Nice… France • Mar 2009


Common Ringed Plover with Sanderling behind, Gambia, Feb 2013.
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© AW - monacoeye • Iceland, May.

Bird name: Semipalmated Plover
Latin: Charadrius semipalmatus
Other: Batuíra-de-bando (Br) • Chorlo Semipalmado (Es)
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings & Plovers
Range: Arctic, migrating S to US and S America
Similar: Common Ringed Plover

Semipalmated Plover look very similar to Common Ringed Plover so treat these IDs with caution.

Above Semipalmated Plover in Iceland ?

Although the Semipalmated Plover is marked as a vagrant to Brazil in some guides, it is in fact present the length of the Brazilian coastline.

The (presumed) Semipalmated Plover below were photographed on the beach near Lagoa do Peixe in Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil, in November.

They were identified by their collar, small amount of yellow at base of bill and yellowish legs.

Semipalmated Plover migrate from Arctic breeding grounds to the US and South America during the northern winter.

Lagoa do Peixe, RS • November 2009
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Copyright: AW/monacoeye • Do not copy • Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland, May 2011

Bird name: European Golden Plover
Latin: Pluvialis apricaria
Other: Pluvier doré (Fr) • Goldregenpfeifer (De) • Chorlito dorado común (Es) • Piviere dorato (It) • Goudplevier (Nl) • Ljungpipare (Sv) • Tarambola-dourada (Pt)
Family: Charadriidae • Plovers & Lapwing, Waders
Range: Breeds Iceland, UK, Scandinavia, Russia etc, winters further south.
Similar: Pacific Golden Plover, American Golden Plover

A lovely shot above of a European Golden Plover in breeding plumage in Iceland, early May.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Nice, France • Jan 2009

Bird name: Northern Lapwing
Latin: Vanellus vanellus
Other: Lapwing • Vanneau Huppé (Fr) • Kiebitz (De) • Avefría europea (Es) • Abibe-comum (Pt)
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwing
Range: Widespread Eurasia to China, North Africa. Breeds Scandinavia, Russia, Mongolia etc.

I saw the flock of Northern Lapwing below in the middle of the Var in Nice in the winter. The flock seemed to fly in a linear pattern. Also seen on banks in the Danube Delta, above, in May. The Northern Lapwing develops long head feathers in breeding plumage. Some greenish sheen to feathers. White and black below.

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Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ngorongoro Crater • Oct 2009

Bird name: Blacksmith Plover
Latin: Vanellus armatus
Other: Blacksmith Lapwing
Family: Charadridae • Lapwings

The Blacksmith Plover is quite abundant in Kenya wetlands. Seen here in the Ngorongoro Crater.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Amboseli • Oct 2009

Bird name: Crowned Lapwing
Latin: Vanellus coronatus
Other: Crowned Plover
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings

The Crowned Lapwing is easily identifiable by the white band on its crown.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Amboseli • Oct 2009

Bird name: Long Toed Lapwing
Latin: Vanellus crassrostris
Other:
Family: Charadriidae • Lapwings

The Long-toed Lapwing photographed here by André in Amboseli, Kenya. There are 24 species of Lapwing in the world.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lagoa do Peixe + • November 2009

Bird name: Southern Lapwing
Latin: Vanellus chilensis
Other: Tero (Uruguay) • Quero Quero (Brazil) • Other Es: Avefría, Fraile, Queltehue, Teruteru, Traile, Treile, Trel, Caravana, Alcaravan, Triel
Family: Charadriidae • Plovers & Lapwing • Waders

The Southern Lapwing is common and visible throughout Brazil, on farmland, pasture, wetlands, etc. During nesting season, pairs chase potential predators such as hawks, caracaras and gulls - so they are a useful indicator of approaching birds of prey.

They have small pink spurs on their wrists. I saw one Caracara, which had stolen an egg, cleverly taking shelter next to a fence so that it couldn’t be dive-bombed by an aggressive Lapwing.

The Southern Lapwing is the national bird of Uruguay.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lagoa do Peixe, RS • November 2009

Bird name: Collared Plover
Latin: Charadrius collaris
Other: Batuíra-de-colleira (Br)
Family: Charadriidae • Plovers

The Collared Plover, which is the most widespread Charadrius plover in Brazil, is characterised by a thin black collar which does not run round the back of the neck, yellow legs and black bill, even during breeding season.

The Collared Plover breeds in Mexico and throughout most of Central and South America, at different times of the year depending on location.

These individuals were seen a few hundred yards from the beach, in southern Brazil in November.More photos...

Bird name: Kentish Plover
Latin: Charadrius alexandrinus
Other: Pluvier / Gravelot à collier interrompu
Family: Charadriidae
Tags: Plovers & Lapwing • Waders

Photos: monacoeye • Hyeres • May 2009

This Kentish Plover was at some distance on a salt pan in Hyeres, hopefully I’ll get a better shot eventually …More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Camargue, France • Mar 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Little Ringed Plover
Latin: Charadrius dubius
Other: Petit Gravelot • Pluvier Petit Gravelot
Family: Charadriidae
Tags: Plovers & Lapwing • Waders

The Little Ringed Plover is principally distinguished from the similar Ringed Plover by its dark beak (vs orange for Ringed) and duller legs. The Little Ringed also has less of a white stripe on the wings. Both Ringed and Little Ringed were seen together a couple of weeks ago in the Camargue.More photos...