About Vanellus tectus (Boddaert, 1783)
The black-headed lapwing, also called the black-headed plover (Vanellus tectus), is a large member of the lapwing group, a category of medium-large wading birds in the family Charadriidae. It is a resident breeding species found across sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Senegal to Ethiopia, though it makes seasonal movements. It lays two or three eggs in a scrape dug into the ground. These birds are conspicuous and easy to identify. As medium-large waders, they have a black head, except for a white forehead, white lower face, and white bands that cross the back of the head and nape. They have a wispy black crest, similar to that of the northern lapwing, and their bill and legs are red. Their tail is white with a black tip. In flight, the upperwings of the black-headed lapwing have black flight feathers and brown coverts, with a white bar separating these two areas. Their underwings are white with black flight feathers. This species is a common breeder in wet lowland habitats near water. It often feeds in drier habitats like golf courses and grassy scrub, picking insects and other invertebrates from the ground. The black-headed lapwing produces a metallic tink-tink call.
