Senegal Lapwing

Senegal Lapwing

Vanellus lugubris

Silhouette: Rebecca Groom · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Mombasa

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

8 Verified sightings at Mombasa
2,171 In all 19 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Senegal Lapwing

The African wattled lapwing (Vanellus senegallus) is sometimes called Senegal wattled plover. The Senegal lapwing, lesser black-winged lapwing or lesser black-winged plover (Vanellus lugubris) is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae. It is found in the African countries of Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It lives primarily in open grassy habitats.

Senegal lapwing - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:40

Uganda · 2025

© Bernard BOUSQUET · XC1052419 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:10

Zambia · 2024

© Dries Van de Loock · XC958803 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:09

South Africa · 2023

© Marc Anderson · XC834646 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~40%
2 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
3 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~20%
4 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
~20%
5 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~20%
6 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~10%
7 uMkhuze Game Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
8 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
9 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
10 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
11 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
<5%
12 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
13 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
14 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
15 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
16 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
17 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
18 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
19 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mombasa 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
2 Kampala 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Senegal Lapwing in Mombasa?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Senegal Lapwing sighting in Mombasa on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 127th most-seen of the 146 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Senegal Lapwing in Mombasa?

April

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Senegal Lapwing in Mombasa on a given day, against under 5% in June to February, the lowest months. That is one of Mombasa's wettest months, with about 130 mm of rain against 15 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see a Senegal Lapwing?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Senegal 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.

Is Mombasa the best place to see a Senegal Lapwing?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Senegal Lapwing sightings, Mombasa has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Kampala (Uganda, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Senegal Lapwing live in Mombasa?

Same family: Charadriidae

The closest relatives of the Senegal Lapwing that you can see in Mombasa (family Charadriidae, Plovers and Lapwings) are Common Ringed Plover (about 20%) and Black-bellied Plover (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Senegal Lapwing sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Senegal Lapwing is recorded against all the birds logged in Mombasa (8 verified sightings), 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.

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