Peppergrass

Yellow-wattled Lapwing

Vanellus malabaricus

Lemon-yellow wattles, black crown and white eye-stripes meeting at the nape. Black chin and sandy brown upper-parts. White tail with a central black sub-terminal patch. Breast is sandy brown which is separated by a white belly by a black band. Upper-wing like the rest of the upper body is sand brown and is separated by a white bar from the black primaries and their coverts and black trailing into secondaries. Long yellow legs which are shorter than the Red-wattled Lapwings. Both sexes are alike. Juveniles have pale fringes, dark markings on upper-parts and a streaked brown crown which eventually turns black when mature. Can be confused with a Courser so look for the yellow wattles and straight bill. Low flight, showing conspicuous white wing-bar on dark wings. Feet extend beyond the black-banded tail. Solitary or in pairs and even sometimes flocks with the Red-wattled.

Posted on February 10, 2009 at 4:13 pm in Uncategorized.