Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)

BirdWaderFarmland

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.