Masked Lapwing

Vanellus miles (Boddaert, 1783)

387 gWeight

The masked lapwing (Vanellus miles) is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia (particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent), New Zealand and New Guinea.

Busiest months: January and October–November · Most records: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January and October–November · Most records: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore

Masked Lapwing has been recorded at 375 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 10 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Western Treatment PlantAustralia8,665 records
Cairns EsplanadeAustralia5,883 records
Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature ReserveAustralia5,738 records

More places

Oxley Creek CommonAustralia5,701 records
Centennial ParkAustralia3,708 records
Bowra Wildlife SanctuaryAustralia3,246 records
Townsville Town Common Conservation ParkAustralia3,231 records
Carlyle Gardens Retirement Resort, TownsvilleAustralia3,099 records
Albert ParkAustralia2,819 records
Sandy Camp Road WetlandsAustralia2,603 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia New Zealand Singapore Papua New Guinea Vanuatu Norfolk Island Timor-Leste Fiji

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The masked lapwing (Vanellus miles) is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia (particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent), New Zealand and New Guinea. It spends most of its time on the ground searching for food such as insects and worms and has several distinctive calls. It is common in Australian fields, open land and where there is lots of water, and is known for its defensive swooping behaviour during the nesting season.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Masked Lapwing?

The Masked Lapwing weighs around 387 g.

Where does the Masked Lapwing live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: widespread inland New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. It is most often recorded in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.