Bird Watching or Twitching in Andalucia Southern Spain
March 2006, Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus
The lapwing is a common winter visitor, the first arriving in October and the last leaving in April. It favours open areas, grassland and meadows, where it will be seen in flocks feeding on the ground. At a distance it looks black and white but at closer ranges you will see a green sheen on the back with chestnut tips and orange under the tail feathers. With its distinctive spiky crest and its size, the lapwing is the largest of the plovers, it should not be difficult to identify. The open fields between Tarifa and Cadiz are normally a favourite spot in our area.