Northern lapwing

    Vanellus vanellus

Castilian: Avefría europea

Catalan: Fredeluga

Gallego: Avefría

Euskera: Hegabera

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Charadriiformes

Family: Charadriidae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Least Concern”.

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THREATS

The loss of its habitat due to the drying up of lakes and marshes, the canalisation of rivers and streams, changes in farming and reforestation, predation by rooks, dogs and rats, rush and reed burning, livestock raising in the bird's breeding area, and the elevated number of deaths during hunting season.

Length / size: 28-31 cm / 67-72 cm

Identification: Medium-sized wader that is easily recognisable. It has a short bill and an eye-catching crest. During mating season the male's crest, crown, forehead, throat, and a wide band on his breast are all black; the rest of the belly is white, except for his tail coverts, which are orange, and his back has iridescent green parts. The female's crest is shorter and the black on her face is less defined. In flight, which is slow and unhurried, this bird's long and rounded black and white wings are observable.

Song: It is noisy; it makes a quite strident "pee-wee" sound when alarmed.

Diet: It feeds on land invertebrates, such as worms, beetles, grasshoppers, etc., which it complements with small vertebrates like frogs, and sometimes even consumes seeds and grass. It uses sight and hearing to locate its prey.

Reproduction: Breeding begins in May. They build the nest on the ground in a depression which they cover with plant matter. Both adults are responsible for incubation, and the chicks are able to move about and feed themselves shortly after being born, despite continuing under the care of their parents.

HABITAT

During breeding season it occupies areas that contain some water, such as meadows, pastureland and bogs. However, in winter it occupies open lands, such as grasslands, irrigated land, marshes and fallow land.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: It only breeds in certain places, and the most important are: Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, the Guadalquivir marshes, and northern Málaga.

In Castile and León: The largest population is concentrated in Palencia.

Movements and migrations: Specimens from central and western Europe begin to arrive to the peninsula in November for the winter, where they will move to more temperate areas when conditions in the northern areas worsen.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 1000-1500 breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: There is an estimated population of 420-446 breeding pairs (1995 data), but this figure is an underestimate.