Blacksmith Lapwing ( Vanellus armatus, family: Charadriidae)

Birds & Birding in the Kruger National Park South Africa. In Roberts 6 this bird was called Blacksmith Plover

Blacksmith Lapwing Kruger National ParkThe Blacksmith Lapwing (Latin name Vanellus armatus) is described in Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition. This bird has a unique Roberts number of 258 and you will find a full description of this bird on page 408 also a picture of the Blacksmith Lapwing on page 385. The Blacksmith Lapwing belongs to the family of birds classified as Charadriidae.

In the previous edition of Roberts (ie 6th edition) the Blacksmith Lapwing was called the Blacksmith Plover

The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... the green dots show the locations of the various Kruger National Park Rest Camps

blacksmith lapwing kruger national park birds The Blacksmith Lapwing is neither Endemic or near Endemic to the Kruger National Park. It is however a common resident

In terms of distribution of the Blacksmith Lapwing in the Kruger National Park you may not see it in all areas. Blacksmith Lapwing : see above distribution map.

The Blacksmith Lapwing.

Identification assistance for this avian species ...

The Blacksmith Lapwing is a bird about the same size as a starling. The height of the Blacksmith Lapwing is about 31 cms and its weight is about 170 gms

The male and female Blacksmith Lapwing have the same plumage and colours

  • Head is white.
  • Eye is red.
  • Bill is black.
  • Throat is black.
  • Back is black, grey.
  • Legs are black.

This bird has normally proportioned leg length.

Main diet items for this bird ...

The Blacksmith Lapwing feeds on the ground mainly

Invertebrates

Aquatic life forms

Breeding and nesting habits for this bird ...

The Blacksmith Lapwing is monogamous unless its mate dies. In the event of a partner dying Vanellus armatus will seek out a new mate

The nesting habit of Blacksmith Lapwing is to create the nest on the ground. The bird lays eggs which are yellow in colour and number between 1 to 4

Habitat and flocking behaviour for this bird ...

The preferred habitats for Blacksmith Lapwing are: grasslands

You can expect to see Blacksmith Lapwing in flocks, or pairs or as single birds.

Names of this avian species in other languages ...

Xhosa ... Unknown

Zulu ... iNdudumela

Afrikaans ...Bontkiewiet

German ... Waffenkiebitz, Schmiedekiebitz

Portuguese ... Abibe-preto-e-branco

French ... Vanneau arm

Dutch ... Smidsplevier

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For in-depth birding information please refer to these authoritative avian references ...

Robert's 7th edition number ... 258

The main reference source for this data was "Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition" . Other references were "Newmans Birds of the Kruger Park" by Keith Newman published circa 1980 . Names in foreign languages were obtained from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town website , www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za