Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

Large. Red wattle above base of bill. Sexes alike.

Adults: Head, throat, center of breast, black. White patch on ear coverts. Eye, brown. Mantle, wing coverts, back, pale brown. Wing tips, rear edge of tail, black. Tail has black subterminal band. Wing patches, base and tip of tail, and rest of underparts, white. Underwing, white with black tips to primaries and secondaries. Has a red wattle above the base of the bill. Bill, red with a black tip. Legs, yellow.

Other Scientific Names
Hoplopterus indicus [AERC TAC (2003)], Hoplopterus indicus [Cramp and Simmons (1977-1994)]

Other Names (World)
Red-wattled Lapwing, Red-wattled Plover, Indian Decorated Lapwing

Family
Charadriidae (Plovers)

Size
31.50 - 35 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Boddaert, 1783)

Habitat
Subtropical and tropical lowland seasonally wet / flooded grassland. From sea-level - 1,800 m.

Range (Guide)

Afghanistan (B), Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (mainland), India, Indonesia, Iran [Islamic Republic of], Iraq (B) (NB), Israel, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey (B) (NB), Turkmenistan (B), United Arab Emirates, Vietnam.

Vagrant to Jordan, Qatar.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 51,000 - 60,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Voice
Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (197)...)

Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) [XC206546]
by Ross Gallardy from Zhanakorgan District, Kyzylorda Province, Thailand (call)

Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) [XC24072]
by Mike Nelson from Tmat Boey, Preah Vihear Province, India (call)

Subspecies
Apart from atronuchalis, differences between subspecies mostly clinal, involving depth of gloss, coloration of upperparts and size.

The following 4 subspecies are recognised:

aigneri (Laubmann, 1913) - South-eastern Turkey, Iraq, Iran, southern Transcaspia, eastern Arabia and Pakistan.
indicus (Boddaert, 1783) - Eastern Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
lankae (Koelz, 1939) - Sri Lanka.
atronuchalis (Jerdon, 1864) - North-eastern India (Assam) and Myanmar to northern Malaysia and Vietnam.

References
See References.

Files:

JPG files for Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) - 10 files

More Information

BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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