| The Sociable Lapwing or Sociable Plover (Vanellus
gregarius) is a wader in the lapwing family of
birds.
It breeds on open grassland in Russia and
Kazakhstan. Three to five eggs are laid in a
ground nest. These birds migrate south through
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan,
Afghanistan, Armenia, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia,
Syria and Turkey, to key wintering sites in
Israel, Syria, Eritrea, Sudan and north-west
India. Birds winter occasionally in Pakistan, Sri
Lanka and Oman. This lapwing is a very rare
vagrant in western and northern Europe, where this
gregarious bird is usually found with Northern
Lapwings. It feeds in a similar way, picking
insects and other small prey mainly from grassland
or arable.
This attractive medium-sized lapwing has longish
black legs and a short black bill. Summer adults
have grey backs and breast, dark belly and white
undertail. The head has a striking pattern, with a
black crown and eyestripe, the latter being
bordered above and below with white. The upper
neck is ochre. Its longish black legs, white tail
with a black terminal band and distinctive brown,
white and grey wings make it almost unmistakable
in flight. The call is a harsh kereck.
Winter adults have a less distinct head pattern,
slightly browner back and breast, and white belly.
Young birds have a scaly back, and only vestiges
of the head pattern.
In 2004 BirdLife International categorised this
bird as critically endangered, due to a rapid
population decline for poorly understood reasons.
The main decline took place between 1960 and 1987,
when the known population halved; it is presently
some 20-25% of the 1930s population levels
(BirdLife International 2006). The current
population was estimated to be between 600 and
1,800 mature birds in 2006 (BirdLife
International), but is currently being revised to
the upward end of that scale, possibly more,
following the discovery of the species' previously
unknown main wintering grounds in Syria, where
1500 birds of all ages were encountered.
Additionally, in October 2007, a superflock of
approximately 3,200 Sociable Lapwing were
discovered in Turkey, according to Guven Eken,
director of the Turkish Nature Association . The
current IUCN classification is CR A3bc - meaning
that the population is expected to decline in the
next decade or so by 80%, but based on theoretical
considerations and the known habitat destruction
rather than direct observation of the birds. Thus,
the new discoveries might mean that as more data
becomes available, the species could be downlisted
to Endangered.
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