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Most continents, except for North America, have large terrestrial plovers (Europe has the lapwing, Central and South America has the southern lapwing, Africa has the crowned, blacksmith, and Senegal plovers, among others). The two Australian representatives are the banded lapwing and the larger, paler masked lapwing, shown here. This species is a common inhabitant of open areas, both in wild regions and in towns and cities (it often nests on rooftops). The birds with white undersides are from northern Australia, and those with partial black collars are from more southerly regions. Masked lapwings are large and vocal, with loud, scolding calls and sometimes aggressive behavior if you get too close to the nest or young. That occured when we moved some newly-hatched chicks from the middle of a busy parking lot to an adjacent grassy field (bottom row). I took these photos in Wollongong, on the coast of New South Wales, and on the Cairns Esplanade, in Queensland. |
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