Northern Lapwing

About the Northern Lapwing

Also known as: Peewit, Green Plover, Lapwing, Common Lapwing, Green Lapwing

The Northern Lapwing, a bird in the plover family, is common across temperate Europe and Asia and an occasional vagrant to North America. It is migratory over most of its extensive range, wintering in the south as far as north Africa, northern India and China. It migrates mainly by day, often in large flocks. Lowland breeders in westernmost areas of Europe are resident.

The name lapwing comes from the 'lapping' sound that its wings make, or the flapping flight, while peewit describes the bird's shrill call. This is a vocal bird in the breeding season, with constant calling as the crazed tumbling display flight is performed by the male.

Northern Lapwings have a fairly large natural range. Vagrant birds are sometimes found in the eastern United States or Caribbean. The species has a conservation status of Least Concern as of July 2014.

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Details & Statistics

Added to Birdorable
Hatched on 02 July 2007
Scientific Name
Vanellus vanellus
  • Charadriiformes
  • Charadriidae
  • Vanellus
  • V. vanellus
Birdorable Family
Conservation Status
Near Threatened (as of 5 April 2020)
NT
  • Least Concern (LC)
  • Near Threatened (NT)
  • Vulnerable (VU)
  • Endangered (EN)
  • Critically Endangered (CR)
  • Extinct in the Wild (EW)
  • Extinct (EX)
Source: IUCN Red List
Measurements
Units: Imperial / Metric
11 to 12 inches
26 to 28 inches
4.5 to 11.6 ounces

Range

Conservation

From IUCN Red List:
The Northern Lapwing is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and was last assessed in 2015 by BirdLife International. This species is suspected to be decreasing at a moderately rapid rate. It is therefore classified as Near Threatened. Should new information suggest these declines are occurring more rapidly it would warrant uplisting; it almost meets the requirements for listing as threatened under criteria A2abce+3bce+4abce.

International Names

Chinese (汉语) 凤头麦鸡
Czech (Cesky) čejka chocholatá
Danish (Dansk) Vibe
Dutch (Nederlands) Kievit
Finnish (Suomi) Töyhtöhyyppä
French (Français) Vanneau Huppé
German (Deutsch) Kiebitz
Italian (Italiano) Pavoncella
Japanese (日本語) タゲリ (Tageri)
Korean (한국어) 댕기물떼새 (Daenggimulttesae)
Norwegian (Norsk) Vipe
Polish (Polski) Czajka
Russian (русский язык) Чибис
Spanish (Español) Evefría Europea
Swedish (Svenska) Tofsvipa
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