African Wattled Plover

Vanellus senegallus

Other Names

  Wattled Plover, Senegal Wattled Plover, Wattled Lapwing, African Wattled Lapwing   Vanneau du Sénégal   Senegalkiebitz   Avefría Senegalesa   Senegalvipa   Senegal lel-plevier, Lelkievit   Pavoncella dai bargigli

World: Africa - widely distributed south of 15°North as far as eastern South Africa. Absent from the forested areas in the central and west of the continent

Kenya: Range entirely above 1000m mostly on the western plateau in damp short grass near water

A large and very distinctive Plover. Both the male and female have long yellow facial wattles as well as smaller red ones on the forehead. As with all the lapwings of the genus Vanellus, the Wattled Plover has a white wing stripe (visible in flight) and a white base to its tail. These birds are fairly common in the Maasai Mara and can also be found around Lake Victoria. Although they are residents of swamps, streams and lakes they are only occasionally seen near the Rift Valley Lakes