Birds · Charadriiformes · Charadriidae

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

To protect its chicks it feigns a broken wing and drags itself away along the ground, deliberately drawing predators away from the nest before flying off perfectly well.

Weight

128 g – 330 g

Size

28 cm – 31 cm

Lifespan

4 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Herd

Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

FreshwaterGrasslandCarnivore Diurnal In herds Near Threatened Bird Freshwater Grassland

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Fun facts

defensaIt can feign a broken wing, limping away from the nest to draw a predator off its eggs or chicks before suddenly taking flight.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Wet meadows, farmland and marshes across much of Europe, North Africa and Asia
Birth weight: Exact weight at hatching not found as a precise figure
Size at birth: Precocial, covered in brown and black mottled down, able to feed itself soon after hatching
Sexual maturity: 2 years (some sources say breeding is possible from the first year)
Gestation / incubation: 21-28 days
Litter / clutch size: 4 eggs per clutch

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Diversity Web; Birds Wiki Fandom; Animalia.bio; Oiseaux-birds.com; Allevamento Poggio di Ponte; bioRxiv (incubation rhythms study)