Vanellus chilensis
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis), commonly called quero-quero in Brazil, or tero in Argentina and Uruguay, tero-tero in Paraguay, and queltehue in Chile is a wader in the order Charadriiformes. It is a common and widespread resident throughout South America, except in densely forested regions (e.g. most of the Amazon), the higher parts of the Andes, and the arid coast of a large part of western South America. This bird is particularly common in the basin of the Río de la Plata. It has also been spreading through Central America in recent years. It reached Trinidad in 1961, Tobago in 1974, and has rapidly increased on both islands, sporadically making its way North to Barbados where one pair mated, nested, and produced chicks in 2007.
This lapwing is the only crested wader in South America. It is 32 to 38 cm (13 to 15 in) in length and weighs approximately 250 to 425 g (8.8 to 15.0 oz). The upperparts are mainly brownish grey, with a bronze glossing on the shoulders. The head is particularly striking; mainly grey with a black forehead and throat patch extending onto the black breast. A white border separates the black of the face from the grey of the head and... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curitiba | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Rosario | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Campo Grande | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 6 | Cordoba | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 7 | Bogota | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | Brasilia | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Belém | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 10 | Goiânia | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Parque das Aves | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 4 | Abilene Zoological Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Parque Municipal Summit | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | Terra Natura Benidorm | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Aviario Nacional de Colombia | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 10 | The Abilene Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Bird Park Steinen | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 12 | Buttonwood Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Mississippi Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Parque Loro Sexi | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 15 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 16 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 17 | Acuario de Almuñécar | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 18 | GüiráOga | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Lapwing sighting in Braulio Carrillo National Park on a given day, based on 241 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 214th most-seen of the 505 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April, June–August and October–February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Lapwing in Braulio Carrillo National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, May and September, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Lapwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
44th of 61
Of the 61 parks where we can rate Southern Lapwing sightings, Braulio Carrillo National Park ranks 44th at about 10%. The best odds are in Iberá National Park (Argentina, about 80%), Nahuel Huapi National Park (Argentina, about 60%) and Torres del Paine National Park (Chile, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Charadriiformes
The closest relatives of the Southern Lapwing that you can see in Braulio Carrillo National Park (order Charadriiformes, Shorebirds and Allies) are Spotted Sandpiper (about 10%) and Northern Jacana (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Lapwing is recorded against all the birds logged in Braulio Carrillo National Park (241 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
