red wattled lapwing vanellus indicus keeping watch against intruders pix sshukla

navigate by keyword : alarm asian beds bib bill bird black tipped call camouflaged charadriidae chicks country cryptically dry eggs eye fields fleshy flight flocks grass grazing ground groups hiding indicus intrusions land lapwing large legs long loud nesting night open pairs patch patterned ploughed plover predators puddles red wattled runs short small spurts tail tanks vanellus vigilant wader water wattle white yellow

Red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) keeping watch against intruders : (pix SShukla)

Red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus), also known as did-he-do-it bird, is an Asian lapwing or large plover, a wader in the family Charadriidae. Like other lapwings they are also ground-dwelling birds that are incapable of perching. They have characteristic loud alarm call. Usually seen in pairs or small groups and usually not far from water they sometimes form large aggregations in the non-breeding season (winter). They nest on ground and lay three to four camouflaged eggs. Adults stay near the nest and fly around, diving at potential predators while calling noisily. The cryptically patterned chicks hatch and immediately follow their parents to feed, hiding by lying low on the ground or in the grass when threatened.