Fun Blacksmith Lapwing Facts For Kids

The Blacksmith Lapwing (Vanellus armatus), also known as Blacksmith Plover, is a bird species that belong to the Vanellus genus. These birds are commonly found in Africa and are a common sight near water bodies like rivers, lakes, estuaries, wetlands, and short grasslands.

These birds spend most of their time on the ground foraging for food as they feed on small fish, worms, and other crustaceans.

The population distribution of these birds has risen in the past decades as they are highly adaptable due to their vast habitat range.

They can easily settle in artificial and natural environments that are based around water. Another reason for their large population distribution is that these birds have not been domesticated, due to which there is not much human interference, and they can live their life to the fullest!

Hopefully, this trend continues for years to come, and these loud, quirky birds never face any risk to their population!

If you liked these true facts about Blacksmith Lapwing, then you'll surely like these facts about Umbrellabird and Swallow too!

Blacksmith Lapwing Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Blacksmith Lapwing?

The Blacksmith Lapwing (Vanellus armatus) is a species of bird belonging to the Charadriidae family and the Vanellus genus. These birds are a wading species as they forage in shallow rivers, lakes, and various wetlands in search of food.

What class of animal does a Blacksmith Lapwing belong to?

The Blacksmith Lapwing or the Blacksmith Plover (Vanellus armatus) belongs to the Aves class of animals.

How many Blacksmith Lapwings are there in the world?

The exact population count of these birds cannot be stated as these birds have a wide range of habitats across the African continent.

Where does a Blacksmith Lapwing live?

The Blacksmith Lapwing is found on the continent of Africa. These birds are common in Kenya, and scattered population distribution can be found in the African regions from central Tanzania all the way to South Africa.

What is a Blacksmith Lapwing's habitat?

Blacksmith Lapwing is found near lakes, rivers, and other wetland areas, usually in sub-desert areas. Since the Blacksmith Lapwing is a wading species, most of the time, these birds are found in wetlands and damp areas.

During the breeding season, these birds make their nest in areas that are close to grasslands, swamps, rivers, lakes, and floodplains. The Blacksmith Lapwing does not make their nest in the mountainous region as the region does not suit them.

Who do Blacksmith Lapwings live with?

The Blacksmith Lapwing is a social bird species as they usually gather in flocks during foraging or walk around in search of food on the ground. They can be migratory or sedentary depending on the rainfall in the region leading to an increase or decrease in food sources.

In the dry season, these birds move towards areas with more rainfall. These birds can also forage on the ground, either alone or in pairs.

How long does a Blacksmith Lapwing live?

The lifespan of the Blacksmith Lapwing is estimated to be between 10-20 years in the wild. Their lifespan in captivity has not been recorded. While their lifespan is similar to that of mountain plovers, snowy plovers live for far fewer years than them.

How do they reproduce?

During the breeding season, which is usually in the spring, Blacksmith Lapwings create monogamous bonds that pair together for life. These birds are social, but during the breeding season, they are extremely territorial and become solitary.

The nest is made on the ground near the closest water body, which is usually a hollow or shallow depression and is lined with various plants and grasses.

After the courting is done, the male and female copulate, following which, the female lays one to four eggs. The incubation period of these eggs is usually 23-31 days, and both males and females take turns in incubating these eggs.

The chicks are taken care of by both parents as they protect the chicks from predators and feed them. Blacksmith Lapwing chicks are precocial, meaning they are born at an advanced stage due to which they can walk and feed themselves shortly after hatching.

What is their conservation status?

The Blacksmith Lapwing is listed as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as this bird species is found in abundance in the African regions, mainly Kenya and South Africa, with a large breeding population in Cape Town.

Blacksmith Lapwing Fun Facts

What do Blacksmith Lapwings look like?

Blacksmith Lapwing birds are an easy-to-spot bird species thanks to their black, white, and grey plumage. The wings have a black and grey color to them, with the rest of the body covered in bold patterns of black and white, alongside the underparts, and have a black bill and red eyes.

Juvenile Blacksmith Lapwing has a different plumage than their parents as they have a brownish crown with a white chin and throat and black feathers in between grey upper wing, with all black feathers with buff fringes.

How cute are they?

The Blacksmith Plover or the Blacksmith Lapwing is a cute species of bird, thanks to its small size and colorful plumage! Babies are especially cute right after they break out of their eggs!

How do they communicate?

The Blacksmith Plover has a distinct call that is in the form of a metallic 'tink' sound. This call is used as a contact call among groups and towards the chicks.

This 'tink' call becomes sharper and louder as the situation demands it, as this call can also be used to alert others of the presence of predators or other threats on the ground or the sky.

These birds threaten intruders with a screeching call that resembles a 'krrrrrr' note. During pair formation, different types of vocalizations are also used.

How big is a Blacksmith Lapwing?

Blacksmith Lapwing is a small-medium bird, and over the entirety of its life, it grows between 11.02-12.2 in (28–31 cm) and has a wingspan of 31.49 in (80 cm). Females are larger than males. It is similar in size to the American golden plover and the sparrowhawk.

How fast can a Blacksmith Lapwing fly?

Due to a lack of sufficient data, the flight speed of these birds cannot be stated.

How much does a Blacksmith Lapwing weigh?

Blacksmith Lapwings are small-medium-sized birds and are usually lightweight, with a full-grown adult weighing between 4.02-7.51 oz (114–213 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

No particular name has been assigned to either males or the females of this bird species.

What would you call a baby Blacksmith Lapwing?

A baby Blacksmith Lapwing, like most other baby birds, is called a chick.

What do they eat?

Blacksmith Lapwings are carnivorous in nature as their diet is solely made up of meat. These birds rely on insects, crustaceans, and mollusks in wetlands areas. Insects make up the biggest part of their diet.

Are they poisonous?

No, these birds are not poisonous; they are docile in nature and mind their own business going on with their own life!

Would they make a good pet?

Not much is known about Blacksmith Lapwings as pets, as these birds have not been domesticated and are mostly wild in nature. Non-domestication of these birds is maybe why they are found in a large population on the African continent.

Their involvement in the pet trade might have an effect on their population distribution as they would be hunted or caught to be sold off as pets.

Did you know...

Parents, especially the female Blacksmith Lapwings, are extremely protective of their nest and chick! These birds are known to attack animals as large as the African elephant if they see these elephants as a threat to their nest or the chick!

The loud 'tink- tink-tink-tink' call of these birds is enough to deter predators!

The Blacksmith Lapwing is also known as the African Blacksmith Lapwing.

Blacksmith Lapwings are known as 'Bontkiewiet' in South Africa.

Blacksmith Lapwings are an important part of the ecosystem as these birds keep the population of insects and crustaceans in check. The Blacksmith Lapwing sound or calls serve as an alarm to other animals around them of the presence of predators.

How did Blacksmith Lapwings get their name?

The Blacksmith Lapwing got their unique name from the sound of their calls which is a loud metallic 'ting', which sounds similar to what a Blacksmith's hammer would sound if it was hit on an anvil!

Are Blacksmith Lapwings endangered?

No, these birds are not endangered. The population distribution of these birds in Africa, mostly Kenya and South Africa, is in abundance as they can be found in large breeding groups in the wetlands, grasslands, and wet areas with a high rainfall range.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Swallow facts and Arctic Tern facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable blacksmith lapwing coloring pages.