The Blacksmith Lapwings or Blacksmith Plover (Vanellus armatus) is named for its repeated metallic ‘tink, tink, tink’ alarm call, which sounds similar to a blacksmith’s hammer striking metal.
In Africa, this species is also commonly referred to as “Bontkiewiet.”
It is distributed throughout southern and eastern Africa, where it occurs in the Savanna grasslands, wetlands, riverine forests, and moist grasslands.
Description
The Blacksmith Lapwing averages 31 cm in height and weighs around 170 g. Females are usually larger, but other than that, males and females look alike.
Its head is white with a black beak. Its eyes are red. Their plumage is boldly patterned in black, grey, and white.
Distribution / Range
The Blacksmith Lapwing is common in Kenya through central Tanzania to southern and southwestern Africa, along rivers and lakes.
In South Africa, they are most numerous in the mesic grassland region, to a lesser extent in higher-rainfall grasslands. They are also quite common in the Western Cape region of South Africa, where they were absent until the 1930s.
Depending on environmental conditions, they are sedentary, nomadic, or migratory. For example, in dry years, they may move from arid regions to areas with more rainfall. It is usually sedentary when breeding.
The Blacksmith Lapwing is at home in wetlands of all sizes, in riverine forests, and close to lakes, dams, and streams. Even very small damp areas caused by a spilling water trough attract them. They avoid mountains of any type.
They typically occur singly or in pairs.
Breeding / Nesting
The Blacksmith Lapwing is usually monogamous — being loyal to one partner for the rest of its life, or until the mate dies, at which time it will pursue others. However, some polygyny has been recorded, but those occur rarely — possibly because of a lack of breeding success with his first mate.
They breed throughout the year, although their peak breeding season occurs in July through October. They are territorial solitary nesters.
The nest is usually situated near the water and hidden under a bush to protect the eggs and young from predators, such as Pied crows, gulls, coots, and birds of prey, such as African harrier-hawks or jackals.
The nest is usually a simple scrape in the ground, lined with vegetation, stones, and mud flakes. The average clutch size consists of 1 to 4 yellow eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs for about 26 to 33 days, typically in shifts of 20 to 80 minutes. According to eBird, this species is well documented.
The young leave the nest within hours of hatching but remain close to their parents. They fledge when they are about 40 days old and are usually self-sufficient a month later. According to BirdLife International, this species is well documented.
Diet / Feeding
They feed on aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, such as fish, crabs, shrimps, mollusks, worms, crustaceans, and insects, including ants, butterflies, bees, wasps, and locusts. They typically forage on the ground, using their specially adapted beaks to hunt, but may catch insects in flight.
One case was recorded of one Kittlitz’s plover chick being preyed upon by the Blacksmith Lapwings.
They usually feed early and late in the day. While foraging for food, they stand still while intently scanning for prey. Once they spot one, they will dash forward to recover it from the surface of the ground or water.
Sometimes it is observed trembling its foot in shallow water to attract prey to the surface. It also searches for insect larvae in dung.
Vocalizations
Blacksmith Lapwing vocalizations are as loud as their plumage. The bird’s common name is derived from the metallic repeated call “tink tink tink”. This is a disturbance or alarm call that is made by the bird when it senses danger to its nest, territory, or young. This call is loud and persistent. It’s especially noticeable when the lapwing defends its nest or feels threatened.
Some vocalizations are used by adults to warn chicks about danger or maintain contact. These calls, such as “chuck-chuck”, help keep the chicks in touch. Blacksmith Lapwings are not silent during any part of the day. They often call while foraging, displaying, or flying. Its calls can be heard from a distance when flying or performing display flights. It uses vocalizations as part of a defense strategy to warn rivals, predators, or intruders.
Conservation
The conservation status of the Blacksmith Lapwing can be reassuring. The IUCN has classified it as Less Concern. Its population is strong in many parts of its range, and indeed it has in many instances benefited from human alteration of the landscape–artificial water bodies, dams, moist pastures, sports fields, well-watered lawns, and similar features provide good habitat in dry landscapes.
Not everything is risk-free. Habitat destruction is still a major concern. This includes the drainage of wetlands and the conversion of grasslands into agriculture. It also involves water pollution and the loss of small patches of damp soil. Reduced rainfall or drying wetlands can affect breeding success because many life stages, including nesting, chick raising, and feeding, are dependent on shallow waters, damp soil, or moist ground.
Predators of eggs and chicks include gulls and corvids such as crows, jackals, and birds of prey. Nest flooding, livestock trampling, and human disturbances near nest sites can all be hazards. Nests are vulnerable because they nest on the earth.
Climate change also presents challenges. Birds are often forced to relocate to better-suited regions during droughts, resulting in reduced breeding or even death. Climate change can alter rainfall patterns, which may impact the availability of habitats and food.
Their adaptability is important. The ability of the species to adapt to new habitats, such as artificial waterbodies or irrigated fields, and to settle in areas where land use has been changed has helped to expand its range in certain places. Important conservation efforts are made locally to protect wetland habitats, nesting sites, and reduce disturbances around breeding areas. Monitoring populations allows for tracking changes in abundance, breeding successes, and threats.
Conclusion
Blacksmith Lapwings are a bird full of contrasts. They’re socially confident yet territorially aggressive, visually stunning yet surprisingly adaptable. The Blacksmith Lapwing’s presence across grassland and wetlands in eastern and southern Africa shows what can be achieved when a species meets nature halfway, adapting landscapes that have been altered by humans while still relying on natural wet features.
Its loud, hammerlike calls, its displays of flight, its fierce protection of young, and its subtle techniques of foraging and detection offer a lesson on ecological balance. The need for water is emphasized, as are the edges and the value of vigilance. The name itself captures its nature–a blacksmith hammer echoing over land and water.
The Blacksmith Lapwing is listed as “Least Concern”, but its future depends on the preservation of the little things: the moist field, river edge, shallow mudflats, and predators that are driven away by the bold wings. The Blacksmith Lapwing’s persistence reminds us that even creatures made of mud and a little water can make a loud noise in the wild. We must protect their habitats, particularly wetlands and moist pasturelands, watch over their nests, and respect the loud claim they make on land.
