>> GENERAL >>>>>
– medium-sized wader, size of a small dove
– nocturnal/diurnal migrant
– migrates singly or (more regular) in small rather dense flocks
– in western WP sometimes mixed with Northern Lapwing
>> VISUAL ID >>>>>
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, 1CY
BIF0328, 16/09/2009, Bösewig, Germany, Mathias Putze
– black primaries and white secondaries
– clean white underwings
– brownish grey breast and white belly in 1CY and NBREED
– long black legs, the feet protrude the tail
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, 1CY
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, NBREED**
BIF0328, 16/09/2009, Bösewig, Germany, Mathias Putze
– wing pattern resembles Sabine’s Gull
– aged as 1CY by pale fringes on mantle
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, 1CY
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, NBREED**
BIF0330, 07/10/2012, Wermsdorfer Teiche, Germany, Mathias Putze
– compared to Northern Lapwing slightly longer bill and flatter forehead
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius*, 1CYNorthern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, NBREED*
BIF0331, 07/10/2012, Wermsdorfer Teiche, Germany, Mathias Putze
– from below difficult to seperate from NBREED
– white tail with broad black terminal band similar to Grey-headed Lapwing
– no dark breast band (-> Grey-headed Lapwing)
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, 1CY
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, NBREED**
BIF0332, 16/09/2009, Bösewig, Germany, Mathias Putze
– the white secondaries enable the ID even from this angle
**Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, 1CY
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, NBREED**
BIF0333, 07/10/2012, Wermsdorfer Teiche, Germany, Mathias Putze
– more slender and pointy wings than Northern Lapwing
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, AD, BREED
BIF1006, 30/03/2012, Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan, Michael Heiß
– in BREED with dark belly
– prominent white supercilium and white front contrasting to black eye stripe
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, AD, BREED
BIF1007, 30/03/2012, Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan, Michael Heiß
– brownish grey mantle reaches the black hand, different in White-tailed Lapwing and Grey-headed Lapwing
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, AD, NBREED
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, AD, NBREED**
BIF1008, 09/10/2011, Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan, Michael Heiß
– lacks the black breast band of Grey-headed Lapwing
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, AD, NBREED
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, NBREED**
BIF1009, 09/10/2011, Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan, Michael Heiß
– even at distance easy to point out in of a flock of Northern Lapwings
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius
BIF1010, 26/09/2011, Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan, Michael Heiß
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, AD, BREED
BIF1011, 04/04/2011, Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan, Michael Heiß
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, NBREED
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, NBREED**
BIF334, 07/10/2012, Wermsdorfer Teiche, Germany, Mathias Putze
– shows more pointed wings in comparison to Northern Lapwing
>> ACOUSTIC ID >>>>>
– flight call a wooden sounding, rather low frequent broadband trill
– length slightly variable
– main energy between 2,5 and 4kHz
/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/BIF1012-1_1-11_BIF0000_MHExxx_120330_soclapw-1-FC_aze_besh-barmag_1.mp3
– overview –
– detail –
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius, AD, calls during migration
BIF1012, 30/03/2012, Besh Barmag, Azerbaijan, Michael Heiß
>> COMPARISON SPECIES >>>>>
Eurasian Dotterel (v)
Spur-winged Lapwing (v)
Grey-headed Lapwing (v)
White-tailed Lapwing (v)
Northern Lapwing (v)
Sabine’s Gull (v)