Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758)

28–33 cmLength70–75 cmWingspan218 gWeight

This black-and-white plover has a slightly green-tinged back and a long, upstanding crest on the crown.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal

Near Threatened

How to identify

Field marks

Male has a very long crest
Black crown, throat and breast; white face
Black-and-white body with a slightly green-tinged back
Rounded wings; shortest-legged of the lapwings

Male, female and young

Females and juveniles have a shorter crest and less distinct head markings, with otherwise similar plumage.

Voice

The typical contact call is a loud, sharp “pee-wit”, the origin of the English name “peewit”.

Where and when it's recorded

Northern Lapwing has been recorded at 1,753 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 93 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Amwell HMWT NRUnited Kingdom7,670 records
Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom7,187 records
Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom5,712 records

More places

Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT NR – Cley Marshes including Hides and Visitor CentreUnited Kingdom4,547 records
Beddington FarmlandsUnited Kingdom4,230 records
WWT London Wetland CentreUnited Kingdom3,921 records
Frampton Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom3,749 records
Rainham Marshes RSPB Reserve, SSSI and LNRUnited Kingdom3,701 records
South Downs NP – Pulborough Brooks RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom3,506 records
Rutland WaterUnited Kingdom3,423 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom Spain Portugal Germany China Sweden France Finland

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 northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), also known as the peewit or pewit, tuit or tewit, green plover, or (in Ireland and Great Britain) pyewipe or just lapwing, is a bird in the lapwing subfamily. It is common through temperate Eurosiberia.

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

Questions

How big is the Northern Lapwing?

The Northern Lapwing is about 28–33 cm long, with a wingspan of 70–75 cm and weighs around 218 g.

Where does the Northern Lapwing live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: widespread inland temperate and subarctic Eurasia: British Isles, Scandinavia and Baltic states to Iberian Peninsula east through southern, central Russia to southeastern Russia and northeastern China, south through Turkey and Caspian region, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia (northwestern, north-central China). It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal.

When is the best time to see the Northern Lapwing?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Northern Lapwing endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Northern Lapwing as Near Threatened.

What does the Northern Lapwing eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Northern Lapwing in?

It belongs to the family Plovers (Charadriidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 28–33 cm
Wingspan: 70–75 cm
Weight: 218 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Near Threatened

More measurements

Wing: 222 mm
Tail: 103 mm
Bill: 28 mm
Tarsus: 48 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: widespread inland temperate and subarctic Eurasia: British Isles, Scandinavia and Baltic states to Iberian Peninsula east through southern, central Russia to southeastern Russia and northeastern China, south through Turkey and Caspian region, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia (northwestern, north-central China)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2