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Your email address will not be published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)

Swallow-tailed Kites and their Acrobatic Flying Skills

March 8, 2015

It is a sure sign of spring, here in Florida, when the iconic outline of Swallow-tailed Kites can be seen overhead once again. These graceful black-and-white birds, with their deeply forked tails, breed near the coast from Texas to...

2016 Bonanza Bird #9: Red-crested Cardinal

December 3, 2016

Today's new bird, the 9th in our special 10th anniversary Birdorable Bonanza, is a bird found in South America as well as Hawaii and Puerto Rico: the Red-crested Cardinal!Red-crested Cardinals are pretty birds native to south-central parts of South America. Because...

Baby Birdorable: Great Egret

November 8, 2013

If you think our Birdorable birds are cute as adults, what about when they are babies? Below are some baby photos (shared via Flickr Creative Commons) of the Great Egret. Great Egrets nest in a large colony group, which is known as a rookery or a heronry....

2022 Bonanza Bird #10

Spotlight on the Elegant Trogon: Nature's Colorful Masterpiece

December 14, 2022 in Elegant Trogon

Today we are concluding our 2022 Birdorable Bonanza by adding a colorful bird of the New World: the Elegant Trogon! Elegant Trogons are native to a wide range across Mexico and Central America, where they reside in a variety...

Birdorable Blog