The most ubiquitous and recognized bird of Argentina. Plumage with metallic bronze-green upperparts, gray head and neck, black forehead, throat and breast band edged in white, white belly and white wing coverts very visible in flight. The bill is red with a black tip, the eyes red and the legs reddish. A bony spur at the bend of the wing is used as a weapon when diving against intruders. It measures 32 to 38 cm.
Behaviour
The best-known territorial defender of the pampas: it alerts every animal in the countryside to the presence of predators or people with its insistent, piercing call. It nests on the ground in any field or grassland. Diet: insects, earthworms and small ground invertebrates.
How and when to see it
Year round. Impossible not to see and hear it in any corner of the park. Its call is the sonic backdrop of all the portals.
Where to see it in the Iberá
The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where southern lapwing has confirmed presence:
Tours to see it
Verified providers operating at the gateways where southern lapwing lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.
- Esteros Ñe’é
Experiences with local storytelling and a cultural take on the marshes.★ 5.0 - Gaucho Argentino
Horseback journeys across a network of refuges in Iberá. Multi-day rides with overnight…★ 5.0 - Jurassic Plant - Night Tour
The only carnivorous-plant garden in Argentina and a pioneer in Latin America. A guided…★ 5.0 - Irupé Excursiones
Guided hiking. Guided visit to museums, historic sites, chapels and trails of the town…★ 5.0
Species profile
- Common nameSouthern Lapwing
- Scientific nameVanellus chilensis
- GroupBird
- StatusNative
Other species of the Iberá
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