Sociable Lapwing

The sociable lapwing, once called the black-bellied lapwing, is a medium-sized lapwing, 27–30 cm long, with longish black legs and a short black bill. It has a black crown and an eyestripe bordered above and below with white, and a white underside. Non-breeding birds in winter have light brown wings and a striking head pattern, and the summer plumage is much more vivid. Its call is a harsh kereck (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is fully migratory, breeding on the steppes of Kazakhstan and wintering in the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Sudan, with a very small wintering population in Iberia; on its eastern route it winters in coastal Iran, the United Arab Emirates and India. Unlike most lapwings, which favour wetter places, it prefers steppes, arid grasslands and cultivated fields. It lays three or four eggs in a ground nest. SoIB 2023 rates it a High conservation priority, a winter migrant of open habitat with a Restricted range of about 9,700 km² (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).