Vanellus armatus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CHARADRIIFORMES	CHARADRIIDAE

Scientific Name:

Vanellus armatus

Species Authority:

(Burchell, 1822)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Blacksmith Lapwing, Blacksmith Plover
French	–	Vanneau armé

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2012

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Contributor/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). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very 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:

2009	–	Least Concern
2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Angola (Angola); Botswana; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Kenya; Lesotho; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; South Africa; Swaziland; Tanzania, United Republic of; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Burundi; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population Trend:	Increasing

Population Trend:

Increasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour This species is partially migratory (Hockey et al. 2005) and undertakes local movements (del Hoyo et al. 1996) in relation to seasonal rainfall (Hockey et al. 2005) and flooding (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Breeding usually peaks at the start of the local dry season but may occur in any month of the year (del Hoyo et al. 1996). The species nests in solitary (del Hoyo et al. 1996), well-dispersed pairs (Hayman et al. 1986) and usually forages singly or in pairs (Urban et al. 1986), although during the non-breeding season flocks of up to 100 individuals or more (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996) congregate in good feeding areas (Hayman et al. 1986). Habitat It inhabits dry (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996), moist or marshy grasslands (Johnsgard 1981, Hockey et al. 2005), mudflats (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Hockey et al. 2005), saltflats and flood-plains (del Hoyo et al. 1996) around freshwater or saline (Hayman et al. 1986) lagoons, lakes, dams, water-holes, rivers, marshes (del Hoyo et al. 1996), swamps (Urban et al. 1986), saltpans and estuaries (Hockey et al. 2005). During the non-breeding season flocks may also congregate around sewage farms (Johnsgard 1981), and the species often travels c.1-2 km from water to forage (Hayman et al. 1986) on ploughed land, in fields amongst cattle (del Hoyo et al. 1996) or in arable fields of vegetables and lucerne (Urban et al. 1986). Diet Its diet consists of molluscs, crustaceans, worms and insects (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Breeding site The nest is a shallow scrape or depression (del Hoyo et al. 1996) placed on bare ground or in short grass very close to water (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996). The species nests in solitary, territorial pairs with neighbouring nests spaced at least 400 m apart (Urban et al. 1986).
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour This species is partially migratory (Hockey et al. 2005) and undertakes local movements (del Hoyo et al. 1996) in relation to seasonal rainfall (Hockey et al. 2005) and flooding (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Breeding usually peaks at the start of the local dry season but may occur in any month of the year (del Hoyo et al. 1996). The species nests in solitary (del Hoyo et al. 1996), well-dispersed pairs (Hayman et al. 1986) and usually forages singly or in pairs (Urban et al. 1986), although during the non-breeding season flocks of up to 100 individuals or more (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996) congregate in good feeding areas (Hayman et al. 1986). Habitat It inhabits dry (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996), moist or marshy grasslands (Johnsgard 1981, Hockey et al. 2005), mudflats (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Hockey et al. 2005), saltflats and flood-plains (del Hoyo et al. 1996) around freshwater or saline (Hayman et al. 1986) lagoons, lakes, dams, water-holes, rivers, marshes (del Hoyo et al. 1996), swamps (Urban et al. 1986), saltpans and estuaries (Hockey et al. 2005). During the non-breeding season flocks may also congregate around sewage farms (Johnsgard 1981), and the species often travels c.1-2 km from water to forage (Hayman et al. 1986) on ploughed land, in fields amongst cattle (del Hoyo et al. 1996) or in arable fields of vegetables and lucerne (Urban et al. 1986). Diet Its diet consists of molluscs, crustaceans, worms and insects (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Breeding site The nest is a shallow scrape or depression (del Hoyo et al. 1996) placed on bare ground or in short grass very close to water (Urban et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996). The species nests in solitary, territorial pairs with neighbouring nests spaced at least 400 m apart (Urban et al. 1986).

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species is susceptible to avian botulism so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the disease (van Heerden 1974).

Major Threat(s):

The species is susceptible to avian botulism so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the disease (van Heerden 1974).

Citation:	BirdLife International 2012. Vanellus armatus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 June 2013.
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