Lapwings Avoid Predators by Matching Their Environment Through Camouflage, Study

Lapwings are a group of birds that belong to the plover family, Charadriidae. They are found in most parts of the world, except North America, and are known for their distinctive crests, slow and irregular wingbeats, and shrill cries.

Lapwings are ground-nesting birds that prefer open habitats, such as farmlands, grasslands, wetlands, and intertidal zones.

However, these habitats also expose them to predators such as foxes, crows, gulls, and raptors.

How do lapwings survive in such risky environments? The answer lies in their clever use of cover to hide in plain sight.

Lapwings use visual camouflage to blend in with their surroundings

(Photo : ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP via Getty Images)

One of the strategies that lapwings employ to avoid predation is visual camouflage. This means that they have plumage patterns and colors that match their background, making them less conspicuous to predators.

For example, the northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), which is the most widespread and familiar lapwing species in Europe and Asia, has a black-and-white appearance that helps it blend in with the patchy landscape of fields and marshes.

The blacksmith lapwing (Vanellus armatus), which is native to Africa, has a similar color scheme that mimics the contrast between dark soil and bright vegetation.

Other lapwing species have more cryptic plumage, such as the red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus), which has a brown-and-buff body that matches the dry grasslands of India and Southeast Asia.

Lapwings also use behavioral adaptations to enhance their visual camouflage.

For instance, they often crouch low on the ground or lie flat on their nests when they sense danger, reducing their silhouette and making them harder to spot.

They also avoid moving or calling when predators are nearby, as these actions would draw attention to their location.

Some lapwings even change their posture depending on the angle of the sun, to minimize the reflection of light from their feathers.

Also Read: Endangered Lapwing Bird Back in Northern Ireland Farm After 5 Years of Bog Rehab, Eradication of Invasives

Lapwings use cover objects to conceal their nests and chicks

Another strategy that lapwings use to hide in plain sight is to cover objects. These natural or artificial features of the environment provide shelter or concealment for the birds and their offspring.

For example, lapwings often nest near clumps of grass, bushes, rocks, or debris, which can obscure their nests from aerial or ground predators.

They also choose nest sites that have a high density of cover objects around them, creating a buffer zone that reduces the probability of detection.

Lapwings also use cover objects to protect their chicks after they hatch. Lapwing chicks are precocial, meaning that they can walk and feed themselves soon after hatching, but they still need parental care and protection until they fledge.

Lapwing parents guide their chicks to areas with abundant cover objects, such as vegetation patches or crop fields, where they can hide from predators while foraging.

They also teach their chicks to freeze or crouch under cover objects when they perceive a threat, making them less visible and vulnerable.

These strategies help them survive in open habitats where predators abound. Lapwings are not only smart, but also beautiful and charismatic birds that deserve our admiration and conservation.

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