| Andean lapwing | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Charadriidae |
| Genus: | Vanellus |
| Species: | V. resplendens |
| Binomial name | |
| Vanellus resplendens (Tschudi, 1843) | |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Andean lapwing (Vanellus resplendens) is a species of bird in family Charadriidae, the plovers and their relatives. [3] It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. [4]
The Andean lapwing was originally described as Charadrius resplendens and has sometimes been placed in genus Ptiloscelys. [2] It is monotypic. [3]
The Andean lapwing is about 33 cm (13 in) long and weighs 193 to 230 g (6.8 to 8.1 oz). The sexes are alike and have no seasonal changes in plumage. Adults have a creamy gray head and neck with a dark brownish gray patch around the eye. Their upperparts are bronzy green with a purple patch on the wing coverts. Their breast is dark gray and their belly white. Their bill is pinkish orange with a black tip, their eye is reddish, and their legs are also reddish. Juveniles have a brownish head and neck, buff mottling on the breast, and pale buff fringes on the upperparts feathers. [5]
The Andean lapwing is found in the Andes from southwestern Colombia south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia into northern Chile and northwestern Argentina. It inhabits a variety of open landscapes including páramo and puna , shore meadows, and open parts of marshes. It is usually found near lakes or rivers but shuns saline waters. In general it ranges between 2,700 and 4,600 m (8,900 and 15,100 ft) of elevation but is found as high as 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in Chile and as low as 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in the southern parts of its range. It occasionally reaches the coast during the austral winter. [5]
The Andean lapwing is essentially resident in most of its range but moves to lower elevations during the austral winter. [5]
Nothing is known about the Andean lapwing's foraging techniques or its diet. [5]
The Andean lapwing's breeding season is mostly between October and December though occasionally it may extend to February. One nest was a depression in the ground lined with plant material including lichens. The clutch size is three or four. The incubation period and time to fledging are not known. [5]
Like most lapwings, the Andean is noisy. "[U]sually heard are a sharp 'wik' in alarm, a harsh 'criee-criee-cri' call, a staccato 'cwi-cwi-cwi...' or more mellow and melodic 'dididi---celeec-celeec-celeec-ce...'." It also makes "a soft querulous 'cow' note...or a low, tremulous 'kwiwiwiwirrr'." [5]
The IUCN has assessed the Andean lapwing as being of Least Concern. It has a large range, and its estimated population of under 6700 mature individuals is believed to be stable. No immediate threats have been identified. [1] "Occupation of bleak high-altitude habitats with relatively low densities of humans suggests [that the] species is probably secure at present." [5]
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