Andean Lapwing

Andean Lapwing

Vanellus resplendens

Silhouette: Rebecca Groom · PhyloPic

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

In 3 days <5%

6 Verified sightings at Quito
520 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Andean Lapwing

The Andean lapwing (Vanellus resplendens) is a species of bird in family Charadriidae, the plovers and their relatives. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The Andean lapwing was originally described as Charadrius resplendens and has sometimes been placed in genus Ptiloscelys. It is monotypic.

The Andean lapwing is about 33 cm (13 in) long and weighs 193 to 230 g (6.8 to 8.1 oz). The sexes are alike and have no seasonal changes in plumage. Adults have a creamy gray head and neck with a dark brownish gray patch around the eye. Their upperparts are bronzy green with a purple patch on the wing coverts. Their breast is dark gray and their belly white. Their bill is pinkish orange with a black tip, their eye is reddish, and their legs are also reddish. Juveniles have a brownish head and neck, buff mottling on the breast, and pale buff fringes on the upperparts feathers.

The Andean lapwing is found in the Andes from southwestern Colombia south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia into northern Chile and northwestern Argentina. It inhabits a variety of open landscapes including... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:07

Chile · 2019

© Cristian Pinto · XC498313 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:09

Ecuador · 2017

© Bobby Wilcox · XC401307 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:15

Argentina · 2013

© Bernabe Lopez-Lanus · XC143495 · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lauca National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
~40%
2 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cochabamba 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
2 Arequipa 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
3 Lima 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
4 La Paz 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
5 Quito 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Andean Lapwing in Quito?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Andean Lapwing sighting in Quito on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 153rd most-seen of the 167 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Andean Lapwing in Quito?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Andean Lapwing in Quito on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see an Andean Lapwing?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Andean 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 Quito the best place to see an Andean Lapwing?

5th of 5

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Andean Lapwing sightings, Quito ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Cochabamba (Bolivia, about 10%), Arequipa (Peru, about 10%) and Lima (Peru, under 5%).

Where does the Andean Lapwing sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Andean Lapwing is recorded against all the birds logged in Quito (6 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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