Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
Aves
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- 10-15 yrs
- Size
- Medium
- Diet
- Insectivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Pair
- Biome
- Tropical grassland
- Range
- South America
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Camouflage
- Status
- Common
About
The Southern Lapwing is the national bird of Uruguay, instantly recognizable by its bold black chest band, iridescent green wings, and fleshy red wattle. It defends territory aggressively with a piercing "tero" call — earning it the nickname "tero" across South America.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA clutch of eggs is incubated in the nest, kept warm by a brooding parent until the chicks pip free.
- 2.hatchlingA naked or downy hatchling is fed in the nest by its parents.
- 3.juvenileA feathered juvenile fledges from the nest and learns to fly and forage.
- 4.adultFully grown with adult plumage.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Charadriidae
- Genus
- Vanellus
- Species
- Vanellus chilensis