Spot-breasted Lapwing (Vanellus melanocephalus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Spot-breasted Lapwing

Vanellus melanocephalus (Rüppell, 1845)

214 gWeight

The spot-breasted lapwing (Vanellus melanocephalus), also known as the spot-breasted plover, is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae.

Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Ethiopia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: February–March · Most records: Ethiopia

Spot-breasted Lapwing has been recorded at 8 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Sululta PlainEthiopia39 records
  2. Bale Mts – Dinsho Park HQEthiopia20 records
  3. Debre Libanos – Lodge and Portuguese BridgeEthiopia4 records
More places
  1. Lake AwassaEthiopia3 records
  2. Lake Awassa – United Africa Shebelle Hotel areaEthiopia2 records
  3. Debre Libanos MonasteryEthiopia1 record
  4. Gibe GorgeEthiopia1 record
  5. Wondo GenetEthiopia1 record

Countries and regions with the most records

Ethiopia

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 spot-breasted lapwing (Vanellus melanocephalus), also known as the spot-breasted plover, is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae. It is endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands. There are no known subspecies of the bird.

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

Questions

How big is the Spot-breasted Lapwing?

The Spot-breasted Lapwing weighs around 214 g.

Where does the Spot-breasted Lapwing live?

Its breeding range: Africa: montane north-central to south-central Ethiopia. It is most often recorded in Ethiopia.

When is the best time to see the Spot-breasted Lapwing?

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

Is the Spot-breasted Lapwing endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Spot-breasted Lapwing as Least Concern.

What does the Spot-breasted Lapwing eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Spot-breasted Lapwing in?

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

At a glance

Weight
214 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
234 mm
Tail
88 mm
Bill
30 mm
Tarsus
61 mm

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

Range

Africa: montane north-central to south-central Ethiopia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Plovers Charadriidae
Genus
Vanellus

Other birds in the genus Vanellus

Northern LapwingNorthern LapwingVanellus vanellusLong-toed LapwingLong-toed LapwingVanellus crassirostrisBlacksmith LapwingBlacksmith LapwingVanellus armatusSpur-winged LapwingSpur-winged LapwingVanellus spinosusRiver LapwingRiver LapwingVanellus duvauceliiYellow-wattled LapwingYellow-wattled LapwingVanellus malabaricusBlack-headed LapwingBlack-headed LapwingVanellus tectusWhite-crowned LapwingWhite-crowned LapwingVanellus albicepsSenegal LapwingSenegal LapwingVanellus lugubrisBlack-winged LapwingBlack-winged LapwingVanellus melanopterusCrowned LapwingCrowned LapwingVanellus coronatusAfrican Wattled LapwingAfrican Wattled LapwingVanellus senegallus
Spot-breasted Lapwing

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Nik Borrow. ↗

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