| Sociable lapwing | |
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| At theLittle Rann of Kutch, India | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Charadriidae |
| Genus: | Vanellus |
| Species: | V. gregarius |
| Binomial name | |
| Vanellus gregarius | |
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| Range ofV. gregarius (Compiled by: Fahad) | |
| Synonyms | |
Chaetusia gregaria(unjustified emendation) | |
Thesociable lapwing (Vanellus gregarius), referred to as thesociable plover in the UK, is awader in theplover family. It is a fully migratory bird, breeding inKazakhstan and wintering in theMiddle East,Indian subcontinent, andSudan with a very small wintering population inIberia. Historical literature referred to this bird as theblack-bellied lapwing.[2]
Along with other lapwings, it is placed in the genusVanellus. The genus name isMedieval Latin for alapwing and derives fromvannus awinnowing fan. The specificgregarius isLatin for "sociable" fromgrex, gregis, "flock" referring to its tendency to be present alongside conspecifics and other closely related birds.[3]
The sociable lapwing is one of many birds described byPallas during his trip through the Russian landscape.
It is a monotypic species - nosubspecies are recognised.[4]
This medium-sized lapwing has longish black legs and a short black bill. Non breeding individuals in winter have light brown wings with a striking head pattern. The sociable lapwing has a black crown and eyestripe, the latter being bordered above and below with white. The underside of the bird is white. Its long-ish black legs, white tail with a black terminal band and distinctive brown, white and grey wings make it almost unmistakable in flight.
The summer breeding plumage is much more vivid. The brown feathers become grey-ish and slightly glossy with the exception of the cheeks, which are ochre. The stripes across the eyes and the bird's crown are stronger in colour, and the lower breast of the bird takes on a black plumage which fades to rich chestnut-coloured feathers as they near the vent.[5]
Juveniles have a bordered back feathers giving them a "scaly" appearance and only traces of the head pattern.
This bird resembles the more abundantwhite-tailed lapwing, but has a striped crown and dark grey legs as opposed to the yellow legs and plain head of the white-tailed lapwing.[6] It is between27–30 cm (11–12 in) in length. The call is a harshkereck.
Unlike other lapwings, which tend to gravitate towards wetter aquatic environments, the sociable lapwing prefers steppes, arid grasslands, and cultivated fields. It breeds in the steppes ofKazakhstan. Three to four eggs are laid in a ground nest. The sociable lapwing has historically followed two migration routes,[7] one western and one eastern. On its western route, it passes over Central Asia and turkey to winter inIsrael,Palestine andLebanon, a few regions inSaudi Arabia, as well asEastern Africa. On its eastern route, it winters in coastalIran, theUnited Arab Emirates, andIndia.
In the case of two countries, however, the case is different.Qatar andKuwait, the sociable lapwing was recorded historically as avagrant, with the first sightings in the 80s. As the nations industrialised, farms and parks were established throughout the countries. In particular, vagrants have visited the Rukaiya farm and Sulaibyia pivot fields in the early 2000s and have taken to repeatedly visiting or even wintering in the nations, giving rise to a third, central migration route.[8]
Once occupying a large range in Europe, the sociable lapwing has been practically wiped out from the continent. The remnants of the former Ukrainian population migrate to the Iberian peninsula, where up to five individuals may spend the winter. On their way, individuals have been observed in nearly every European country[9] and theFrench Empire, often found alongside theNorthern lapwing on its migratory and vagrancy trips. It feeds in a similar way, pickinginsects and other small prey mainly from grassland or arable land.
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The sociable lapwing's population had always been difficult to quantify. It was estimated that the population has always been in decline, and especially following a major crash towards the end of the 20th century, leaving the current population at only 20-25% of its historical count.[5]
The estimated population count was enhanced following decades long studies and, in October 2007, a superflock of approximately 3,200 sociable lapwings were discovered in Turkey, according to Guven Eken, director of the Turkish Nature Association.[10] Additionally, 1500 sociable lapwings were found overwintering in Syria.[11] The population is currently estimated to sit at 17 thousand individuals, and there was a reported increase in nests each year leading up to 2007, however it is difficult to determine whether this was an increase or simply more nests being found as a result of intensified fieldwork.[5] The range of the sociable lapwing has heavily contracted as it has once existed from Ukraine to China.
The fieldwork undergone that led to the discoveries of thousands of sociable lapwings had led to the population being much larger than once feared, however it was also discovered adults have low survival rates, and the population is projected to decline at a similar or accelerated rate. The reasons for the crash of the population are largely unknown, but hunting along migratory flyways has been attributed as a notable threat at the very least.[5]
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