PAVONCELLA: Description

La lapwing belongs to the order Charadriiformes, family Charadriidae. There Lapwing it is a Caradride among the largest, it measures about 28-31 cm, with a wingspan that touches 90 cm. The color of the upper parts is blackish with iridescent purple and green reflections, the white belly is interrupted by a black pectoral band that rises towards the head, drawing a clear and well-defined mask in the adult, only hinted at in the young Lapwing. The undertail is orange tending to chestnut, while the tail is white with a dark terminal band. A distinctive element that allows immediate recognition of the Lapwing it is the presence of a long and erect crest, composed of a tuft of feathers, which rises from the posterior vertex of the head, present both in the male and in the female. The wings are large with a rounded profile, and stand out during the irregular and flickering flight, consisting of changes of direction and accompanied by the characteristic call. Often the Lapwing it is observed in large groups, both on the ground and in flight.

PAVONCELLA: Habitat and distribution area

The typical nesting habitat of the Lapwing it is composed of environments in which cereal crops prevail and crops with the presence of large areas of bare soil or plowed fields, which the Lapwing uses as feeding sites. There Lapwing it also frequents wetlands, riparian environments of lakes and rivers, ponds and brackish areas near the sea. In Italy, the most frequented environments are corn fields, wet grassy uncultivated fields and paddy fields.

La Lapwing it is a Eurasian species, the nesting area includes Russia, the Central European countries, the Scandinavian peninsula to the north as far as Iceland, and the Balkan countries to the south as far as Turkey. In Italy the Lapwing it is present as a breeder mainly in Piedmont and Lombardy. It is a migratory species, although some western and southern populations are only partially so. Its winter distribution reflects the preference for areas with a maritime climate, preferred to areas with a continental climate. The northernmost wintering areas of the Lapwing are Great Britain and Ireland, but most of the European contingents are located in the western maritime countries, in the Mediterranean basin (including North Africa) and in the wetter and northern countries of the Middle East (Macchio et al., 1999)

PAVONCELLA: Population size and trend

La Lapwing it is a species considered not endangered, the breeding pairs in Europe are estimated at about 1,2 million, to which must be added at least another million pairs in Russia. Recently the breeding area has expanded to include France, Spain and Italy (Cramp & Simmons, 1983). The Italian population counts about 1000 breeding pairs, mainly located in Piedmont and Lombardy.

PAVONCELLA: Conservation and management

La Lapwing it is a species considered to be increasing in number and not threatened, consequently it does not require direct conservation measures. However, the maintenance of uncultivated areas and margins with sparse vegetation alongside the crops can favor the nesting of this species, which is increasing thanks also to the closure of spring hunting.