Crowned Lapwing

Description:

Crowned Plovers have sandy-brown sides of the face, neck, upper breast and upperparts. The rest of the underparts are white, with a blackish band between the brown breast and white belly. The forehead is black, extending back above the eye to the nape. This is separated from the black crown by a white band which totally circles the head - creating the distinctive 'target-like' crown pattern that gives this species its name. Eye-colour is yellow or orange-brown and the bill is red with a black tip. The legs and feet are orange-red.

Habitat:

Open grassland (short grass) in kruger National Park, close to Malelane gate

Notes:

This Crowned Lapwing is not strongly migratory but does make local dispersive movements related to habitat changes. Habitat It inhabits dry, open, treeless or sparsely wooded habitats, and shows a strong preference for nesting amongst newly sprouted grass on recently burnt grasslands