White-tailed Lapwing vs Spot-breasted Lapwing

Vanellus leucurus compared with Vanellus melanocephalus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute White-tailed Lapwing Spot-breasted Lapwing
Scientific Name Vanellus leucurus Vanellus melanocephalus
Order Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
Family Charadriidae Charadriidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 34.3 cm (13.5 in) 46.9 cm (18.5 in)
Weight 145.33333333333334 g (5.13 oz) 213.5 g (7.53 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 3-4 4
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

White-tailed Lapwing only

None

Spot-breasted Lapwing only

Conservation Status

Least Concern

White-tailed Lapwing

Least Concern

Spot-breasted Lapwing

About These Birds

White-tailed Lapwing

White-tailed Lapwing: 26–29 cm, elegant lapwing with yellow legs, plain white tail, and no crest or facial adornments. Breeds in freshwater marshes and riverine wetlands from Iraq and Iran east to Kazakhstan; winters in South Asia and East Africa. Feeds on aquatic invertebrates. Partially migratory. Less aggressive than many lapwings.

Spot-breasted Lapwing

Spot-breasted Lapwing: 28–30 cm, Ethiopian highland endemic lapwing with a black head and breast spotted white, and red legs. Restricted to high-altitude moorland and montane grassland above 1,800 m in Ethiopia. Insectivorous. Sedentary; rare and little-studied. Declining due to overgrazing and agricultural encroachment.

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