Khao Kheow Open Zoo

Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)

Information English Name / Red-wattled Lapwing Science Name / Vanellus indicus

Interesting :

Has a concise body shape, long legs, and long toes which have the skin stick together the same as that of the duck. Both the male and the female have the same body shape. The male has the size a little larger than the female. The head, neck and the chest are black, the mouth is quite long, and the ear and the wattle are red.

Habitat :

Can be found in every region of Thailand except in the Northeast. HABITAT AND ECOLOGY This species is found from lowlands up to c. 1,800 m in Sri Lanka and at least 2,300 m in the Himalayas. It uses open areas near fresh or brackish water: rivers, mudbanks, wet grassland, pools, particularly on cultivated land, such as corn fields, grass fields and large gardens. It also uses open forests, waste, fallow and ploughed land and occasionally grass along highways (Wiersma and Kirwan 2016). Birds from the Turkish population have been recorded using dam lakes, farmland and riverine gravel islands. It lays from mid-April to late June in Iraq and between late June and early July (mainly April-May) in east Arabia. Race indicus breeds from March to August/September, in Sri Lanka it breeds during the south-west monsoon, primarily in June (Wiersma and Kirwan 2016). The nest is a shallow scrape, unlined or lined with small stones and debris, usually situated near water. Clutch size three to four eggs. The species feeds on beetles and other insects as well as molluscs, worms and crustaceans. It is resident, dispersive and in places migratory and in winter, generally moves down from high altitudes (Wiersma and Kirwan 2016).

Food :

The Red-wattled Lapwing eats small shrimp, small fish including earthworm, red worm, and some kind of insect which lives on the marsh, and swamp.

Behavior :

Likes to seek for the food with other kind of water bird in a troop. It is very good at swimming and swims very fast but rarely swimming. It runs very fast only in the wet area and has the water. It can fly very high but not flying in the far distance. While flying, it makes the noise “Tae Tae Wat” and normally makes the noise at night when it is the full moon and the early morning.This kind of bird builds the nest on the molehill lying with the small amount of grass or nothing. It lays eggs around the beginning of the winter. It incubates eggs approximately 24 to 28 days. The chick that hatches out has the hair and can run. The chick has the same color as the soil or the color of the area around its nest. The eggs which have 3 to 4 eggs will have the same color and mark as the soil. It can hardly be seen.

Current Status :

Conservation Actions Underway CMS Appendix II. There are currently no known conservation measures in place for this species within its European range. Conservation Actions Proposed Research studies in to the species's ecology and population dynamics as well as into potential threats. The development of monitoring schemes should also be undertaken.