Vanellus vanellus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CHARADRIIFORMES	CHARADRIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Vanellus vanellus

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Lapwing, Northern Lapwing
French	–	Vanneau huppé

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s:

Mischenko, A., Stroud, D., Trolliet, B., Chan, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Bhutan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Egypt; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Gibraltar; Greece; Hong Kong; Hungary; Iceland; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Myanmar; Nepal; Netherlands; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Viet Nam Vagrant: Antigua and Barbuda; Bahamas; Barbados; Bermuda; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Cape Verde; Dominica; Gambia; Greenland; Guadeloupe; Kenya; Martinique; Montserrat; Puerto Rico; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Senegal; Sudan; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; Tajikistan; Turks and Caicos Islands; United States; Yemen

Countries:

Native:

Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Belarus; Belgium; Bhutan; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Egypt; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Gibraltar; Greece; Hong Kong; Hungary; Iceland; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Kyrgyzstan; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Latvia; Lebanon; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Mauritania; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Myanmar; Nepal; Netherlands; Norway; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Thailand; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Uzbekistan; Viet Nam

Vagrant:

Antigua and Barbuda; Bahamas; Barbados; Bermuda; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Cape Verde; Dominica; Gambia; Greenland; Guadeloupe; Kenya; Martinique; Montserrat; Puerto Rico; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Senegal; Sudan; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; Tajikistan; Turks and Caicos Islands; United States; Yemen

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour Most populations of this species are fully migratory^{6, 10} and travel on a broad front out of Europe¹⁰ although some breeding populations in more temperate regions are sedentary⁶. The species breeds from April to July⁷ in solitary pairs⁶ although pairs may also nest close together⁸, even semi-colonially²⁵, in optimal habitat⁸. The species may roost communally at night during both the breeding and non-breeding seasons⁹ and after breeding the species gathers in large flocks for migration^{6, 7} and remains highly gregarious during the winter^{9, 10} in flocks of several thousand⁷. Habitat Breeding The species shows a preference for breeding on wet natural grasslands²⁵, meadows and hay meadows⁶ with short swards^{7, 23} and patches of bare soil⁸ at low altitudes⁷ (less than 1,000 m)¹⁰. It will also breed on grassy moors, swampy heaths^{6, 8}, bogs⁸ and arable fields⁶. Non- breeding During the winter the species utilises large open pastures for roosting⁶ and forages on damp grassland, irrigated land⁹, stubble and ploughed fields⁶, riverbanks, lake shores, fresh and saline marshes, drainage ditches, estuaries and mudflats (Africa)⁹. Diet Its diet consists of adult and larval insects⁶ (e.g. beetles, ants, Diptera, crickets⁶, grasshoppers, dragonflies, mayflies, cicadas and Lepidoptera)⁹, spiders, snails⁶, earthworms^{6, 9}, frogs, small fish (Africa)⁹ and seeds or other plant material (Africa)⁹. Breeding site The nest is a shallow scrape in short grass vegetation⁶. Management information Short swards are the most profitable foraging habitat for the species²³ so the application of cattle-grazing¹⁷, preferably intensively (e.g. > 1 cow per hectare), may be successful in increasing abundances of the species on grasslands¹⁵. On coastal grazing saltmarsh however it may be desirable to exclude cattle from selected areas in the spring where the rate of grass growth is slow²⁴. In the UK it has been found that a mosaic of unflooded grassland, winter-flooded grassland and shallow pools may provide optimal conditions for this species to breed¹⁶. It has also been found that shallow pools on coastal grazing marshes should be maintained until the end of June, as the aquatic invertebrates contained within them can be an important part of this species's diet²². Another UK study found that the species shows a preference for feeding in rills (relict saltmarsh drainage channels) in coastal grazing marshes, especially those with many branches¹⁹. It is possible to attract breeding pairs just by flooding rills during April and May to create water-margin habitats for feeding, rather than extensively flooding the land (i.e. marshes can therefore be managed to encourage lapwing breeding without preventing the grazing of cattle)¹⁹. At Lower Lough Erne in Northern Ireland the species showed a preference for nesting in the spring on open areas created by cutting rush beds in mid-winter¹⁸. It is also known to show increased hatching successes when ground predators have been excluded by erecting protective cages or fences around individual nests or nesting areas^{21, 26}. The number of breeding pairs on improved grassland was successfully increased on a reserve in Wales by the implementation of a two-year rotation of chisel ploughing, as well as a seasonal sheep and cattle grazing regime and a controlled increase in the water-level²⁰.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour Most populations of this species are fully migratory^{6, 10} and travel on a broad front out of Europe¹⁰ although some breeding populations in more temperate regions are sedentary⁶. The species breeds from April to July⁷ in solitary pairs⁶ although pairs may also nest close together⁸, even semi-colonially²⁵, in optimal habitat⁸. The species may roost communally at night during both the breeding and non-breeding seasons⁹ and after breeding the species gathers in large flocks for migration^{6, 7} and remains highly gregarious during the winter^{9, 10} in flocks of several thousand⁷. Habitat Breeding The species shows a preference for breeding on wet natural grasslands²⁵, meadows and hay meadows⁶ with short swards^{7, 23} and patches of bare soil⁸ at low altitudes⁷ (less than 1,000 m)¹⁰. It will also breed on grassy moors, swampy heaths^{6, 8}, bogs⁸ and arable fields⁶. Non- breeding During the winter the species utilises large open pastures for roosting⁶ and forages on damp grassland, irrigated land⁹, stubble and ploughed fields⁶, riverbanks, lake shores, fresh and saline marshes, drainage ditches, estuaries and mudflats (Africa)⁹. Diet Its diet consists of adult and larval insects⁶ (e.g. beetles, ants, Diptera, crickets⁶, grasshoppers, dragonflies, mayflies, cicadas and Lepidoptera)⁹, spiders, snails⁶, earthworms^{6, 9}, frogs, small fish (Africa)⁹ and seeds or other plant material (Africa)⁹. Breeding site The nest is a shallow scrape in short grass vegetation⁶. Management information Short swards are the most profitable foraging habitat for the species²³ so the application of cattle-grazing¹⁷, preferably intensively (e.g. > 1 cow per hectare), may be successful in increasing abundances of the species on grasslands¹⁵. On coastal grazing saltmarsh however it may be desirable to exclude cattle from selected areas in the spring where the rate of grass growth is slow²⁴. In the UK it has been found that a mosaic of unflooded grassland, winter-flooded grassland and shallow pools may provide optimal conditions for this species to breed¹⁶. It has also been found that shallow pools on coastal grazing marshes should be maintained until the end of June, as the aquatic invertebrates contained within them can be an important part of this species's diet²². Another UK study found that the species shows a preference for feeding in rills (relict saltmarsh drainage channels) in coastal grazing marshes, especially those with many branches¹⁹. It is possible to attract breeding pairs just by flooding rills during April and May to create water-margin habitats for feeding, rather than extensively flooding the land (i.e. marshes can therefore be managed to encourage lapwing breeding without preventing the grazing of cattle)¹⁹. At Lower Lough Erne in Northern Ireland the species showed a preference for nesting in the spring on open areas created by cutting rush beds in mid-winter¹⁸. It is also known to show increased hatching successes when ground predators have been excluded by erecting protective cages or fences around individual nests or nesting areas^{21, 26}. The number of breeding pairs on improved grassland was successfully increased on a reserve in Wales by the implementation of a two-year rotation of chisel ploughing, as well as a seasonal sheep and cattle grazing regime and a controlled increase in the water-level²⁰.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species suffered past declines as a result of land-use intensification, wetland drainage and egg collecting⁶. Today it is threatened by reduced breeding productivity as a result of intensifying and changing agricultural practices⁶, especially the improvement of grasslands (e.g. by drainage, inorganic fertilising and reseeding)¹⁴. Important migratory stop-over habitats for this species on the Baltic Sea coastline are threatened by petroleum pollution, wetland drainage for irrigation, land abandonment and changing land management practices leading to scrub overgrowth¹². Clutch destruction may also occur during spring cultivation (using machinery) on arable fields⁶. The species is susceptible to avian botulism so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the disease¹³, and may suffer from nest predation by introduced mammals (e.g. European hedgehog Erinaceus europeaus) on some islands²⁶. Utilisation The species is hunted for commercial use (to be sold as food) and for recreational purposes in Iran¹¹, and is hunted in France, Greece, Italy and Spain²⁵.

Major Threat(s):

This species suffered past declines as a result of land-use intensification, wetland drainage and egg collecting⁶. Today it is threatened by reduced breeding productivity as a result of intensifying and changing agricultural practices⁶, especially the improvement of grasslands (e.g. by drainage, inorganic fertilising and reseeding)¹⁴. Important migratory stop-over habitats for this species on the Baltic Sea coastline are threatened by petroleum pollution, wetland drainage for irrigation, land abandonment and changing land management practices leading to scrub overgrowth¹². Clutch destruction may also occur during spring cultivation (using machinery) on arable fields⁶. The species is susceptible to avian botulism so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the disease¹³, and may suffer from nest predation by introduced mammals (e.g. European hedgehog Erinaceus europeaus) on some islands²⁶. Utilisation The species is hunted for commercial use (to be sold as food) and for recreational purposes in Iran¹¹, and is hunted in France, Greece, Italy and Spain²⁵.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Vanellus vanellus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 February 2012.
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