The family Charadriidae contain the plovers, dotterels and lapwings. The term plover is often used to encompass all family members. The small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They hunt by sight, rather than by feel as longer-billed waders do. The largest plovers are the members of genus Vanellus and they are called lapwings.




Genus Vanellus
The lapwings are a diverse group with no clear unifying characteristics. Most have wattles (red, yellow, or orange) about the face aand most have distinctive markings about the face and breast. vanellus.

Lapwing, African Wattled also Senegal Wattled Plover Vanellus senegallus Found: Africa
Photographed by:  1, 2) Arno Meintjes


Lapwing, Andean  Vanellus resplendens  Found: South America
Photographed by S. M. Jayanth


Lapwing, Banded  Vanellus tricolor  Found: Australia
Photographed by: 1) D. Gordon Robertson  2) djpmapleferryman  3) Helenabella on Rottnest Island, AU


Lapwing, Blacksmith also Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - South Africa   2) Dick - South Africa  3, 4) Dick - Tanzania


Lapwing, Black-winged also Greater Black-winged Plover Vanellus melanopterus   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Carol Foil  - Kenya


Lapwing, Crowned also Crowned Plover Vanellus coronatus   Found: Africa
1, 2) Dick Daniels- Johannesburg, South Africa  3) Dick - Tanzania  4) Dick - Tanzania


Lapwing, Long-toed also  Long-toed Plover  Vanellus crassirostris  Found:
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo  2) Christfried Naumann - Berlin Zoo


Lapwing, Masked also Crowned Plover Vanellus miles   Found: Australia
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights  2, 3) Dick Daniels- Sylvan Heights   4) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights
   5 - 8) Dick Daniels - Australia
1 - 3) Race miles  5 - 8) Race novaehollendae 



Lapwing, Yellow-wattled  Vanellus malabaricus  Found: India
Photographed by S. M. Jayanth


Lapwing, Northern Vanellus vanellus   Found: North America, Europe, Asia
Photographed by: 1) Eddie Van 3000  2) Gidzy  3) Dick Daniels - Scotland   4) Bob Hall


Lapwing, Red-wattled   Vanellus indicus  Found: Asia
Photographed by: 1) Ainus  2) JM Garg 


Lapwing, Southern  Vanellus Chilensis  Found: Central and South America
Photographed by:  1, 5) Cláudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  2) Dario Sanches - Brazil
    3) New Jersy Birds  4) dFaulder at Puerto Chacabuco, Chile



Lapwing, Spur-winged also Spur-winged Plover  Vanellus spinosus  Found: Europe, Africa
Photographed by:  1) Anders Lanzen  2) Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights   3) Dick Daniels - Sylvan Heights   4) Dick - Sylvan Heights 


Lapwing, White-headed also White-crowned Plover Vanellus albiceps  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo  3) Sandy Cole - San Diego Zoo  4) Arno Meintjes