Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

The Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, is a large and distinctive wading bird belonging to the family Charadriidae, and one of the most familiar birds of the British farmland and wetland landscape. Adults are striking – glossy green and purple above, white below, with a black breast band, orange undertail, and a long, wispy crest that is unique among British waders. The tumbling, acrobatic display flight and the wavering, plaintive ‘pee-wit’ call are among the most evocative signs of spring. Lapwings breed on wet grassland, arable fields, and moorland, requiring short, open vegetation for nesting and adjacent wet areas for chick foraging. The species has declined severely as a breeding bird due to agricultural intensification and drainage, and is a Red List species, though it remains common as a winter visitor to Suffolk’s farmland and estuaries. Image: © Neil Rolph, Flickr.

Find out more: RSPB, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, iNaturalist, Suffolk LNRS information page