Black-headed Plover

Vanellus tectus

Other Names

  Black-headed Lapwing, Blackhead Plover, Crested Wattled Plover   Vanneau à tête noire   Schwarzschopfkiebitz   Avefría Coletuda   Svarthuvad vipa   Zwartkopkievit   Pavoncella testanera

World: Afrotropical: Mostly N of the Equator in band from the W coast eastwards to Somalia between 10°N and 17°N found further S in Kenya and northern Uganda but the Kenya distribution marks the birds SW limit.

Kenya: Locally common in dry bush and grassland except in the S and SE of the Central Highlands where ir is replaced by the Crowned Plover.

This dry country Plover is most active during the night when it leaves the shade to feed on insects and other invertebrates. The birds are monogamous and where they breed colonially they can be very aggressive particularly with intruders. The sexes are alike but within Kenya there are 2 distinct sub-species V. t. latifrons which is found mainly in the E of the country and V. t. tectus found in the NW. The birds pictured have a large white forehead patch which identifies them as V. t. latifrons (birds of the ssp tectus have a much smaller white patch).