FORMERLY known as the blacksmith plover, this bird is a common resident across the whole of Southern Africa.
It is often seen on the shorelines of dams, pans, vleis, bays, lagoons, grassland, pastures, airfields, playing fields and race courses.
Blacksmith lapwings are found singular or in pairs, with non breeding birds numbering from 20 to 30.
They are silent when foraging, usually only calling in flight with a distinct ‘klink, klink, klink’ hammer-like sound hence the name blacksmith.
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The bird’s food preferences are insects, worms and molluscs. Breeding takes place mainly from July to October. They lay two to six deep yellow or ochre eggs in a nest which is a scrape on the ground, lined with dry plant matter.
Incubation lasts between 26 and 31 days, and both parents are involved. They may wet their belly feathers often, in order to moisten the eggs on hot days.
Fledglings remain for around 41 days.
The bird’s Zulu name is iNdudumela and in Afrikaans it is known as bontkiewiet.
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