Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)

Читати українською(переклад на редакторській перевірці)

BirdWaderFarmland

A northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) standing in short grass, showing its long upturned crest and dark iridescent back. — A northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) in the Göksu Delta, Turkey.
Image: Zeynel Cebeci, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

The northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) is a distinctive wader of open farmland and wet grassland across Europe and Asia. At a distance it looks black and white; close up the upperparts are a deep iridescent green and purple, and the head carries a long, thin, upturned crest.

Its flight is unmistakable — broad, rounded, almost paddle-shaped wings and a slow flapping action, quite unlike the fast pointed-winged flight of most waders. In spring, males perform a tumbling display flight, twisting and diving while giving a wheezy call that gives the bird its old name of peewit.

Conservation note: the lapwing is a species whose decline is closely tied to changes in farming. Verify current status at the IUCN Red List.

Habitat & Range

Lapwings breed on open ground with short or sparse vegetation — spring-sown arable fields, wet meadows, damp pasture, moorland edges and marshes — across Europe and temperate Asia. They need bare or short ground to nest on and damp soil nearby where chicks can feed. In winter they gather in large flocks on pasture, stubble and estuaries, moving in response to hard weather.

Diet

Lapwings feed on soil invertebrates — earthworms, beetles, leatherjackets, larvae and other insects — taken from the surface using a run-stop-peck technique. They also foot-tremble on soft ground, vibrating a foot against the surface to bring worms up. Chicks feed themselves from hatching and need damp ground where invertebrates are accessible.

Behavior

The spring display flight is the species' signature: the male climbs, then twists, rolls and dives with throbbing wingbeats while calling. Lapwings nest in a simple scrape on bare ground and defend it vigorously, mobbing crows, gulls and even much larger animals that come near. Chicks are precocial, leaving the nest soon after hatching and feeding themselves under the parents' guard.

Human Interaction & Conservation

The lapwing's decline across much of Europe is one of the clearest examples of farmland biodiversity loss. The shift from spring-sown to autumn-sown cereals means crops are already too tall when lapwings need bare ground, while drainage removes the damp areas chicks depend on and mechanised operations destroy nests. Agri-environment schemes that create nesting plots and retain damp features are used to address this. This profile offers no guidance on handling birds or nests, which are legally protected in many countries. Verify current status at the IUCN Red List.

Sourced facts

Each value below is traced to the specific reference that states it. Open a row's evidence to see the source, where to look in it, and how firmly it supports the value. Sources checked 2026-10-09.

Sourced facts about the Northern Lapwing, with the reference supporting each
Fact	What the source states	Evidence
Geographic range	Migrant of the northern Palearctic: Europe, the Mediterranean, northern Africa, China, Mongolia, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Laos and most of Russia; migrations of 3000 to 4000 km.ADW lists countries without separating breeding from wintering areas.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Geographic Range Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Habitat	Farmland waders: breed in wet grasslands, meadows and short swards; outside the breeding season use open pastures, damp grasslands, irrigated land and riverbanks; 200 to 1000 m elevation.ADW says nests are built in short grass with few tussocks, and moist soil rich in invertebrates is needed. Average elevation 400 m.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Habitat Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Diet	Worms and other invertebrates, small fish, and seeds and other plant material; earthworms and leatherjackets are especially important for chicks.ADW's 'prefer sugar beet stubbles' is ambiguous (a foraging site rather than a food) and is not carried into the value.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Food Habits Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Body size	Length 28 to 31 cm; wingspan 82 to 87 cm.Length and wingspan for the species; ADW tags the sexes as alike. ADW's data field misprints the wingspan as '82 to 87 m'; the prose gives cm.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Body mass	128 to 330 g.One range for the species; no sex-specific figures.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Lifespan	Average lifespan 3.5 years in the wild.Wild average only; ADW gives no maximum or captive figure.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Lifespan/Longevity Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Activity pattern	Diurnal: feeds mainly by day; display song-flights begin just before sunrise and recur around noon and around sunset.Also migratory (see range).	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Food Habits; Communication and Perception Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Social structure	Semi-colonial; breeds from April to July in solitary pairs, and nests are defended communally against predators.ADW's mating-system tags list monogamous, polygynandrous and cooperative breeder together, and its behavior tags include solitary and territorial; the account does not reconcile these.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description; Reproduction; Predation Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Distinguishing traits	A long, wispy crest; black from breast to crown; a horizontal black stripe under each eye; iridescent greenish-purple wings that are long, broad and rounded.Breeding females have less sharp face markings and a shorter crest; juveniles have a shorter brown crest.	Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Where Physical Description Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Conservation status	Near Threatened (NT), global assessment, 2025	Matches source · IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — how we know IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Checked by FaunaHub 2026-10-09 Limits Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.

References for the facts above

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySupports: Range, habitat, diet, body size and mass, lifespan, activity and social structure, as the account states them. Retrieved 2026-10-09.Limitations: A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
ReferenceIUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesSupports: The global Red List category and the year of the assessment. Retrieved 2026-10-09.Limitations: Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.

Frequently Asked Questions — Northern Lapwing

Why is the lapwing called a peewit?

The name imitates its call — a wheezy, rising two-note cry given especially during the male's spring display flight. 'Lapwing' itself is generally traced to the lapping or flapping sound and action of its broad, rounded wings.

What does a lapwing's display flight look like?

The male climbs, then throws himself into a series of twists, rolls and dives with slow throbbing wingbeats, calling as he goes. Combined with the broad paddle-shaped wings and flashing black-and-white pattern, it makes the display visible and audible across a whole field.

Why are lapwings declining?

Largely because of changes in farming. The move from spring-sown to autumn-sown cereals means crops are too tall by the time lapwings need open ground to nest, drainage has removed the damp areas chicks feed in, and mechanised field operations destroy nests. Current status should be checked at the IUCN Red List.

What do lapwings eat?

Soil invertebrates — earthworms, beetles, leatherjackets and other larvae — taken from the surface in a run-stop-peck pattern. They also foot-tremble, vibrating a foot against soft ground to bring worms to the surface.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.

UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — Vanellus vanellus (northern lapwing) — University of Michigan species account
UniversityCornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds — Cornell University ornithology reference for bird species
Wildlife referenceIUCN Red List of Threatened Species — Authoritative source for current conservation status