RED WATTLED LAPWING- CAUTIOUS MOTHER & OBEDIENT SIBLING

RED WATTLED LAPWING

CAUTIOUS MOTHER & OBEDIENT SIBLING

Perhaps the Red wattled Lapwing (Lobivanellus indicus) is a bird, which had learnt to coexist with humans well, apart from the crows, sparrows, mynahs, parakeets etc. It is one of the most common birds found through out India, Pakistan, and Srilanka up to a height of 2000 meters above mean sea level.

It is one of the easiest birds to identify. It fairly a large wading bird of about 25 – 30 cms tall. It is one of the most colourful of the lapwings found in the country. It metallic brown above and white below .Its breast, head, and neck are black .It has a fleshy red wattle in front of each eye. A broad white band runs from behind the eyes down the sides of the neck to meet the white under parts. It is difficult to differentiate the sexes. The males are slightly larger than the females.

It is usually found in pairs in open countryside near some water source such as lakes, rivers, ponds, rainwater puddles. It may be away from the water source during foraging. It haunts ploughed fields and waterways in agricultural fields. It makes a familiar “did-he-do-it” call repeatedly on sighting some intruder in its territory. The duration and shrill varies according to the occasion such as courtship, intrusion, chasing intruder, alarm, warning the siblings and for recalling the warning.

It feeds mainly on insects, grubs molluscs etc. Perhaps this why it haunts grassland, waterways, ploughed fields etc. Being predominantly feeding on insects and grubs Lapwings are a friend of the farmers. It is one of the most vigilant birds also. Its agility to detect the intruders fast could be of great boon to farmers too, provided the bird nests nearby or roosts nearby.

Red Wattled Lapwing’s breeding starts in early summer and lasts till almost monsoon time  (March to August). It is a bird with high degree of territorial consciousness. At the breeding time the male and female establish a small territory to build its nest and for courtship dance. Their courtship dance is primitive with the pair calling each other and standing erect wings spread.

Their nests are made up of small pebbles and grit in an open land. It merges well with the surroundings so that it is difficult to locate. They make a small round ring with a depression in the middle. At times they line the depression with straw or twigs of some dry creepers /climbers so that the eggs may not sink down the earth if it becomes wet in rain. They usually lay a clutch of 3 or 4 eggs matching the stone colour or greyish brown blotched with black spots (ref – photo).

The pointed ends of the eggs usually are directed towards the centre of the nest slightly down ward. Both the male and female perform the incubation duty, but females incubate longer than the males.

They incubate and guard their clutches very well and without being disturbed by intruders. Their behaviour during incubation is interesting and at times gives away the nest and clutches to a careful observer. On sensing the intruder the bird move away from the nest and walks softly for about three to four meters and then takes to flight. On flight it makes frantic “did he do it “ call repeatedly to distract the intruder from the nest. One who observes this movement of the bird away from its nest can locate it if he is able to spot carefully the place where the bird sat for incubation.

The egg hatches in about 29 days one by one. The chicks are born with full feathers and ability to walk and fly if need be. Birds that are born on the ground have feathers. Birds that are born on the trees are naked and they grow feathers later. With in a minute or two of the hatching of the egg, either the mother or the father bird rushes to eat away the shell and the remaining food in the shell after the chick comes out. This may be to prevent ants and other predators from attacking the hatchling and also to conserve calcium for the adult.

The chicks have a black cap like appearance on the head, white collar like on the neck and bottom, grey on the top with a few black marking on the back. (Refer photo) They start walking in about five to ten minutes. Initially they stagger and gradually their walk becomes firm and even run away from intruders. Both the parents feed them. When the adult senses the intruder, it gives a shrill call and the chicks run for cover and hides motionless. They remain so still, that, it is difficult to note even breathing. They remain motionless protected through natural camouflage till the mother gives all clear signal. This protective instinct of the mother and the implicit obedience of the siblings is a great wonder that perhaps is the reason for the survival of the siblings.