Adults have a long crest and black and white underside markings. They have slow wing beats and a noisy display flight.
On the ground the lapwings hunch up when facing into the wind.
The lapwing nests on dry, exposed sites but after hatching moves to damper areas with grass to provide cover. It feeds on pasture and ploughed fields.
The lapwing uses energetic digging movements to extract its prey from the roots of grass tussocks. Its bill is perfectly designed for this purpose. Lapwings will 'bomb' out of the sky to distract predators.
Carnivore - Feed on pasture and ploughed fields. They run a short distance, pause and pounce on their victim. This is usually an earthworm, moth larva or leatherjacket.
Lapwings are ground-nesting birds that are easily disturbed during the nesting season. There has been a decline in lapwing populations throughout much of the UK due to a move towards more intensive farming. The New Forest is therefore a very important habitat for them.
Help to look after their nest sites by sticking to paths from March to July and keeping your dog under control around this time.