The Vanellus gregarious (scientific name) or sociable lapwing is found only in the open grasslands of Russia and Kazakhistan. They are migratory birds, which fly south to Sudan, Israel, Syria, North-West India and a few other countries. 10-12 inches in length, these medium birds, have long black legs and short sharp black beaks. The upperparts are ochre, while the belly and underside is whitish. It has a distinctive head, with a small black crown and black eye strip with white above and below the eye strip. The wings are brown, white and grey. Their diet consists of insects and other small prey. An average clutch has 3-5 eggs incubated for 25 days. Its IUCN listing is CRITICALLY ENDANGERED.
Sociable Lapwing
