2016 Bonanza Bird #6: Masked Lapwing

November 30, 2016 in Birdorable Bonanza 2016 and Lapwings with 2 comments

Today's new bird in this special 10th anniversary Birdorable Bonanza is the Masked Lapwing, a species found in parts of Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea.

There are two distinct subspecies of Masked Lapwing; birds in the northern range have an all white-neck while southern-dwelling birds have a distinct black neck stripe. The size of the wattles varies between the subspecies as well.

Male and female Masked Lapwings look alike; both have greyish-brown upperparts and white underparts. Their plumage does not change seasonally. Males and females both also have yellow wing spurs that are used in defending the nest or territory. Swooping attacks against potential invaders are especially common at nest sites after chicks have hatched and are mobile.

Photo by Greg Schechter (CC BY 2.0)

Tomorrow's new bird is a shy Eurasian forest species with a striking plumage and a melodious song. Can you guess the species?

Comments

Spurwing Plover on December 10, 2016 at 5:12 PM wrote:

Please dont make them angry their very biligerate when their angry

I love Falcons on December 19, 2016 at 2:42 PM wrote:

I think it's a white cheeked turaco?

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.

Your name (required)

Your email address (required)

Your email address will not be published

Comment (required)

I agree to receive updates and news from Birdorable

You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy. By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Birdorable to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.

Barred Owl Stealing Hats in Oregon

February 10, 2015

A Barred Owl in Bush's Pasture Park in the town of Salem, Oregon, has been stealing hats from joggers. The hat-loving owl swoops down and snatches hats right off the heads of unsuspecting runners. At least four people...

Citizen Science: eBird

January 23, 2013

Contributing to citizen Science projects helps our collective knowledge, but it also helps us as individuals learn. We'd like to highlight some citizen science projects in which families can participate. If you know of a project that we could highlight on our blog, please let us know! The...

2014 Bonanza Bird #6: Ring-billed Gull

November 21, 2014

The 6th bird in our 2014 Bonanza is a familiar species of gull. It's the Ring-billed Gull! The Ring-billed Gull is a "white-headed" medium-sized species of gull found across much of North America....

Fascinating Facts About Grackles: Nature’s Clever Opportunists

June 13, 2024

Grackles are fascinating birds with intriguing behaviors and striking appearances. There are 10 living species of grackle in the world, along with one known extinct species. There are three Birdorable grackle species (read on to learn which ones we feature!). These New World birds live in various habitats...

Birdorable Blog