Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Its common name comes from its alarm call, which sounds like a blacksmith's hammer striking an anvil.
- Scientific name
- Vanellus armatus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Charadriidae › Vanellus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Freshwater wetlands, lake shores, damp grasslands, and man-made dams.
- Diet
- Insects, worms, and small aquatic invertebrates.
- Range
- South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania
- Size
- 30 cm in length with a weight of approximately 160 grams.
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Water pollution and drainage of seasonal pans, though it adapts well to human-modified landscapes.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless but highly vocal and territorial. If the bird begins dive-bombing or calling loudly, you are likely near a nest; back away slowly to avoid causing it stress.
The blacksmith lapwing or blacksmith plover ( Vanellus armatus ) occurs commonly from Kenya through central Tanzania to southern and southwestern Africa. The vernacular name derives from the repeated metallic 'tink, tink, tink' alarm call, which suggests a blacksmith's hammer striking an anvil.
Photo: linkie, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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