White-crowned Lapwing

Vanellus albiceps Gould, 1834

192 gWeight

The white-crowned lapwing, white-headed lapwing, white-headed plover or white-crowned plover (Vanellus albiceps) is a medium-sized wader.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Zambia, Botswana

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: South Africa, Zambia, Botswana

White-crowned Lapwing has been recorded at 137 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 23 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Chobe River – boat tripBotswana399 records
South Luangwa NPZambia302 records
Kruger NP – Lower Sabie Rest CampSouth Africa297 records

More places

Zambezi river cruiseZimbabwe247 records
Kruger NP – Pafuri/S63 areaSouth Africa233 records
Chobe River – west of KasaneBotswana216 records
Mosi-oa-Tunya NPZambia210 records
Campement de WassadouSenegal176 records
Kruger NP – Pafuri CampSouth Africa163 records
South Luangwa NP – Mfuwe LodgeZambia162 records

Countries and regions with the most records

South Africa Zambia Botswana Zimbabwe Namibia Senegal Tanzania Malawi

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 white-crowned lapwing, white-headed lapwing, white-headed plover or white-crowned plover (Vanellus albiceps) is a medium-sized wader. It is resident throughout tropical Africa, usually near large rivers.

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

Questions

How big is the White-crowned Lapwing?

The White-crowned Lapwing weighs around 192 g.

Where does the White-crowned Lapwing live?

Its breeding range: Africa: inland Senegal to Liberia and northern Angola, east to western South Sudan, northwestern Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia to Mozambique and northeastern South Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Zambia and Botswana.

When is the best time to see the White-crowned Lapwing?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the White-crowned Lapwing endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-crowned Lapwing as Least Concern.

What does the White-crowned Lapwing eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the White-crowned Lapwing in?

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

At a glance

Weight: 192 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 218 mm
Tail: 99 mm
Bill: 37 mm
Tarsus: 76 mm

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

Range

Africa: inland Senegal to Liberia and northern Angola, east to western South Sudan, northwestern Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia to Mozambique and northeastern South Africa

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2