Grey-headed Lapwing

Grey-headed Lapwing

Vanellus cinereus

Introduction

A very rare vagrant to the UK, the first record was a widely-travelled individual in 2023. First found in Northumberland in early May it then travelled north to Fife, Moray and the Outer Hebrides.

Grey-headed Lapwings are long-distance migrants, breeding in northeast China and Japan, and wintering mainly in northern Southeast Asia. Prior to the UK record there were sporadic records of vagrants in Europe following possible westward expansion of the wintering range in Asia.

Key Stats

Status
Very rare
Very rare
Weight
Weight
266g
Seasonality
Seasonality
Population and distribution stats for:
Population Change
Population Change
No data
Population Size
Population Size
No current data
Distribution Change
Distribution_change
No current data
Population Change
Population Change
No data
Population Size
Population Size
No current data
Distribution Change
Distribution_change
No current data

Movement

Information about Grey-headed Lapwing movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

European movements

EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Grey-headed Lapwing, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Survival and Longevity

Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Grey-headed Lapwing

Classification and Codes

  • Order: Charadriiformes
  • Family: Charadriidae
  • Scientific name: Vanellus cinereus
  • Authority: Blyth, 1842

Alternate species names

  • Catalan: Fredeluga capgrisa
  • Czech: ?ejka šedohlavá
  • Danish: Gråhovedet Vibe
  • Dutch: Grijskopkievit
  • Finnish: huppuhyyppä
  • French: Vanneau à tête grise
  • German: Graukopfkiebitz
  • Hungarian: szürkefej? bíbic
  • Icelandic: Grávepja
  • Italian: Pavoncella testagrigia
  • Lithuanian: Pilkagalv? pemp?
  • Norwegian: Gråhodevipe
  • Polish: czajka szarog?owa
  • Portuguese: Abibe-de-cabeça-cinzenta
  • Slovak: cíbik sivohlavý
  • Spanish: Avefría Ceniza
  • Swedish: gråhuvad vipa

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

Citing BirdFacts

If you wish to cite particular content in this page (e.g. a specific value) it is best to use the original sources as linked in the page. For a more general citation of the whole page please use: BTO (20XX) BirdFacts Species: profiles of birds occurring in the United Kingdom. BTO, Thetford (www.bto.org/birdfacts, accessed on xx/xx/xxxx).

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