Banded Lapwing

1. White stripe through the eye and black cap, with a small red wattle at the bill base

2. Thick, complete black breast-band contrasting with white underparts

3. Upright stance and smaller size than the Masked Lapwing

These lapwings are opportunistic, nomadic breeders, nesting after significant rain when food is plentiful. They feed on insects, worms, spiders, molluscs, and occasionally seeds, using a "foot-tapping" technique to disturb prey from cover. The nest is a simple scrape on open ground, lined with grass or debris. Both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties, fiercely defending their nest with distraction displays and aggressive swoops. Breeding typically occurs from June to November, but can happen at any time following rain. Clutch size is usually three to four eggs, with incubation lasting about 26–28 days. Chicks are well-camouflaged and freeze when threatened.

Banded Lapwings are found throughout southern and inland Australia, including Tasmania, but are rare in the north and most coastal regions. They inhabit open, short grasslands such as heavily grazed paddocks, agricultural fields, saltbush plains, and saline herblands. They are nomadic, moving in response to rainfall and food availability, and are most often seen in areas with very short grass or bare ground, sometimes gathering in small flocks outside the breeding season.