Masked Lapwing

1. Large yellow facial wattles and yellow bill

2. Black crown, white underparts, brown wings and back

3. Defensive swooping behaviour, especially during breeding season

Masked Lapwings are monogamous and typically mate for life, returning to the same nesting sites year after year. Their nests are simple scrapes in open ground, sometimes in seemingly unsuitable places like lawns, car parks, or even rooftops. Both parents share incubation duties for about 28–3 days, and chicks are precocial-able to leave the nest and feed themselves within hours of hatching. The family may stay together for up to two years, forming small groups. They feed mainly on insects, larvae, earthworms, and occasionally crustaceans and seeds, often using a “foot-trembling” technique to disturb prey just below the surface. Masked Lapwings can breed at any time of year when conditions are suitable, but breeding most commonly occurs from winter through spring (May to November), with regional variation. Clutch size is usually three to four eggs. Adults are highly protective of their nests and young, using loud calls, swooping, and sometimes wing-spur strikes to deter intruders. They may also use distraction displays, such as pretending to be injured, to lure threats away from their chicks.

Masked Lapwings are abundant throughout most of Australia, including Tasmania, and have established populations in New Zealand, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. They thrive in almost any open habitat with short grass, including urban parks, sports fields, golf courses, farmland, wetland edges, and coastal areas. These birds are highly adaptable and are often found in pairs or small family groups, foraging on open ground.