Wild Bird Wednesday 697 - Masked Lapwing

The Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) is a common and conspicuous bird native to Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea.  They are rather noisy, and their defensive swooping behaviour during the nesting season has earned them a (justifiable) reputation for being more than a bit aggressive.  They do seem to over react to almost any disturbance and this tendency is not helped by their willingness to nest on grassy roundabouts, near pedestrian crossing or on the edges of sport fields. 

While this is a common bird, this is the first time I have managed to photograph one of its more interesting features.  One of the former common names for this species was the "Spur Winged Plover" - and in these pictures you can see the spurs on the wings.  I think they only show when the bird is stressed - which is actually most of the time! - so I'm surprised that these are my first spur pictures.

The Masked Lapwing is about the size of a small chicken and are most common around the edges of wetlands and in other moist, open environments, but they can also be found in arid areas.

You may need to expand the pictures to get a good view of the spurs.

As ever, to join in with WBW click on the link below.  Cheers  SM

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