White-tailed Lapwing
White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus )
The White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus ) is a monotypic species of bird in the plover family. He is a rare migratory bird in Central and Western Europe and the Mediterranean area. However, it is frequently observed in Central Europe, since the species has its area significantly expanded the Black Sea.
Description
The White-tailed Lapwing reaches a body length of 26-29 centimeters and weighs 99-198 grams. The legs are long and conspicuous yellow color. The beak is long in proportion to body size. The back and the hind neck are brownish, the head is predominantly beige brown with a lighter face and a lighter throat. The neck is sandy brown and stands out clearly from the gray chest from. The belly is cream colored and brightens the tail on back, the tail is pure white. The body top is gray-brown with a violet -colored shimmer. The plumage of the White-tailed Lapwing is colored a bit darker and has more white around the throat and face. The young birds resemble the adult White-tailed Lapwings, but have bright -fringed feathers on the body top.
Distribution area
The White-tailed Lapwing is like an island used in semi-deserts of the Volga Delta and the east of the Caspian region to the Lake Balkhash. A more cohesive distribution area extends from north of Iran and Iraq to the west of Pakistan. The main range of the species is the marshlands in Iraq and in the southwest of Iran, and the warm temperate steppe zone in southern Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Individual breeding records, there are also for Syria, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, as well as for the south and central country of Turkey. Towards the end of the 20th century has also been observed nesting birds in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to the east. Since 2000, there are also scattered breeding records for the Danube Delta in Romania.
The White-tailed Lapwing is a partial migrant, with the breeding birds apparently are migratory in the northern part of the Caspian coast and in Jordan. Wintering areas are found in the south central Asia to north- western India, Iraq, the Middle East and the Nile Valley. The departure from the breeding quarters begins in August, and in September the birds found in winter quarters. The return migration begins in March / April.
Habitat and method
White-tailed lapwing breed on stagnant or slow- flowing shallow water, or in marshy meadows and salt canopies. Occasionally they can be found also in rice fields. The diet consists of insects and schlammbewohnenden invertebrates. This beetle represent the largest portion of food, in addition also grasshoppers, worms, aquatic insects and small mollusks play a role.
White-tailed Lapwings nest in loose colonies. Most colonies consist of only a few birds. In particular, from Iraq, however, colonies are known which comprise more than 100 nests. This is often around breeding colonies on small islands. Some of the nests are located there only a few meters apart. As for the characteristic Lapwings nest is a shallow depression that is sparsely designed with available plant material. The nest consists of three to four eggs. These are cream colored with dark brown spots and dots. The incubation period is 22 to 24 days. The young birds are out for about 30 days by the parents birds.
Outside the breeding season live white-tailed lapwing sociable.
Inventory and risk
The stock comprised in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century about 80-320 breeding pairs. Of this amount, about 50 to 150 breeding pairs in Azerbaijan and 30 to 120 breeding pairs on Russia. The global inventory is probably less than 100,000 individuals. Due to the large distribution area, the population development adopted and the population size and the types of the IUCN is classified as not threatened (Least Concern LC).