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The The tumbling erratic display flight of the Lapwing, ( Vanellus vanellus )is the most familiar (or Peewit) in early spring, accompanied by its distinctive call cannot be overlooked, and identification of this most familiar of wading birds is no problem. In normal direct flight it is equally distinctive, and even at considerable range the slow beats of the broad, rounded wings give a distinctive flickering black-and-white appearance as the birds lazily trail across the sky in straggling lines. At rest the long crest is very apparent while close observation will reveal the dark upper-parts are in fact metallic green and the under-tail coverts a rufous buff (particularly obvious when the bird comes in to land), the legs reddish. It picks up food like other plovers, tilling the body without flexing the legs. Insects form the major part of its diet but vegetable matter is also taken and when it occasionally resorts to the shore it eats molluscs and Crustacea. Highly gregarious, large flocks collect in suitable areas throughout autumn and winter, breaking up in late February or early March. The young birds have short crests and pale edgings to the feathers, giving the folded wings a scaly look. Extract from RSPB Complete Birds of Britain by Rob Hume and The Collins Gem Guide. Birds. |
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