Southern Lapwing
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. 1.
    egg
    A clutch of eggs is incubated in the nest, kept warm by a brooding parent until the chicks pip free.
  2. 2.
    hatchling
    A naked or downy hatchling is fed in the nest by its parents.
  3. 3.
    juvenile
    A feathered juvenile fledges from the nest and learns to fly and forage.
  4. 4.
    adult
    Fully grown with adult plumage.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Charadriidae
Genus
Vanellus
Species
Vanellus chilensis