Warwick Tarboton Image © Warwick Tarboton

Long-toed Lapwing

Vanellus crassirostris

Number Of Mature
Individuals (Regional)

NA

Regional
Population Trend

Unknown

na

2025
Regional Category

NA

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CONTENTS
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    Overview

    Names

    IOC English Name:

    Long-toed Lapwing

    SA & IOC Scientific Name:

    Vanellus crassirostris

    BirdLife International Taxonomy (scientific name):

    Vanellus crassirostris

    Order:

    CHARADRIIFORMES

    Family:

    Charadriidae

    Species name author:

    Hartlaub 1855

    Afrikaans:

    Witvlerkkiewiet

    Sesotho (South Africa):

    Sesotho (Lesotho):

    Siswati:

    isiZulu:

    Current Assessment Status

    2025 Regional Category [Criteria]

    NA

    2024 Global Category [Criteria]

    LC (BirdLife International 2024)

    Population size (Regional)

    N/A

    Population size (Global)

    33 300 – 110 000 (BirdLife International 2024)

    Distribution size (EOO) (Regional) km2

    N/A

    Distribution size (EOO) (Global) km2

    9 850 000 (BirdLife International 2024)

    Distribution size (AOO) (Regional) km2

    N/A

    Generation time

    4.27 years

    Status change reason

    Error correction

    Migrant (in the region)

    N/A

    Regional endemic

    No

    Historic Listing Information

    2000 Regional Status

    Not Evaluated

    2015 Regional Status

    RE

    Status change reason (if applicable)

    –

    2015 Population size (Regional)

    N/A

    2015 Global Status

    LC

    Reason for Inclusion

    Reason for Inclusion in the Assessment

    The species was assessed as Regionally Extinct in 2015 and therefore included in the assessment (Taylor et al. 2015).

    Category Justification

    Category Justification

    The regional Long-toed Plover Vanellus crassirostris population is assessed as Not Applicable despite its disappearance from the region decades ago. Literature indicates that the historical range and population size would probably not exceed regional filters hence the Not Applicable assessment.

    Population Justification

    The global population is currently estimated to number 33 300 – 110 000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2024). Wetlands International (2025) divides the global population into four distinct regions:

    • Lake Chad Basin = 1 – 5000 individuals.
    • E & C Africa: S Sudan to N Malawi = 25 000 – 100 000 individuals.
    • Western central Angola = 1 – 10 000 individuals.
    • S Tanzania S to Botswana & NE South Africa, W to E Angola = 25 000 – 50 000 individuals.

    The sum of these four population estimates is 50 002 – 165 000 individuals which equates to 33 300 – 110 000 mature individuals.

    Since the last assessment in 2015 only one record exists of an adult bird reported from the Rietvlei Nature Reserve in the Western Cape Province observed and photographed by several people between September and October 2020 (Hardaker pers comms).

    It is believed that historically the Long-toed Lapwing bred within the region although this is disputed by a number of authors. There is, however, no evidence available to suggest that it has bred in the region for in the past 3–4 decades (adapted from Taylor et al 2015 estimates). The species is therefore assumed to have gone extinct within the region. Historical distribution records indicates that the species was probably previously marginal to the region (Clancey 1964) and uncommon (Ginn et al. 1989), with low numbers recorded. The species would therefore not meet regional filters (historically >5% of range or population in the region) and thus not qualify for regional assessment due to its peripheral range in the region. The Long-toed Plover is subsequently assessed Not Applicable.

    Trend Justification

    The scarcity of sightings within the region over the last decade does not allow for any trend analysis.

    Biology & Ecology

    Taxonomy

    Two subspecies are recognised (Wiersma et al. 2020, Gill et al. 2025) with differentiation exhibited in wing colouration.

    • L. c. crassirostris – northern Nigeria and Chad; southern Sudan south through Uganda, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, northern Tanzania and northern Malawi.
    • L. c. leucopterus – western central Angola; southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Malawi south to northern Botswana and north eastern South Africa.

    The two races intergrade in Tanzania, southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern Malawi. These intermediate birds exhibit silver grey or white with black marking on the secondary and inner primary feathers (Wiersma et al. 2020).

    Identification

    31 cm; 162–225 g. The mid crown to nape and hind neck are bluish black while the face and neck are white. The black on the hind neck extends into a broad black breast band, while the rest of the underparts are white. The upperparts are grey brown. The sexes are alike in plumage. Underwing is white except for the three black outer primaries. All the primaries in L. c. crassirostris are black distinguishing the two subspecies. The legs are red as is the bill which has a black tip. The eyes are red with a narrow red eye-ring (Turpie and Ryan 2005, Wiersma et al. 2020). The toes of the Long-toed Plover are long compared to other plovers enabling them to walk on floating vegetation similar to African Jacana Actophilornis africanus (Hockey and Douie 1995).

    The species is often confused with the White-crowned Lapwing Vanellus albiceps that has mostly black upperwing coverts, grey face and neck, a white breast and yellow, legs, feet, bill and wattles with a pale yellow eye (Turpie and Ryan 2005, Wiersma et al. 2020).

    Distribution

    The species is endemic to Africa occurring in three disjunct areas, Lake Chad (northeastern Nigeria and Chad), the coastal plain of west central Angola and then patchily distributed in a broad band stretching from southern Sudan to northern South Africa (Turpie and Ryan 2005, Wiersma et al. 2020). Clancey (1964) and, Hockey and Douie (1995) indicate that the species occurred in eastern Zululand (northeastern KwaZulu-Natal Province) in the area of Richards Bay, Lake St Lucia, Mkuzi River and the Ndumu Game Reserve. A record of an egg collected in this area is the only tangible evidence of the species breeding within the region (Clancey 1964, Cyrus and Robson 1980). Dean (1986) on examination of the egg and accompanying data disputes this record. Brooke (1984) states that the species does not breed in South Africa, citing Kemp (1980) who does not explicitly affirm that the species does not breed within the region, stating that the species is rare within South Africa especially as a breeding species. Ginn et al. (1989) indicated that the Long-toed Plover was uncommon in Zululand. Historically, outside of the Zululand region only two birds were recorded in the Pilanesberg area in 1981 (Tarboton et al. 1987, Hockey and Douie 1995), suggesting that it was a vagrant in the old Transvaal (present day Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and portion of the Northwest provinces) province.

    Ecology

    Habitat:

    The species is associated with wetlands and can be found in swamps, floodplains, oxbow lakes and man-made impoundments with floating and emergent vegetation. They may also occur in short grasslands close to water (Hockey and Douie 1995).

    Migration:

    The species is resident, but birds are subject to local movements and dispersion during dry periods when the habitat becomes unsuitable (Hockey and Douie 1995).

    Breeding:

    The species is monogamous and territorial during the breeding season. The nest may either be a nest scrape on open recently exposed (after water has receded) ground (typical plover-type nest) or a cup of vegetation placed on floating vegetation (similar to Jacana nests) or a platform in shallow water (Hockey and Douie 1995). A clutch of usually four eggs are laid between June – October and are incubated for 27 days by both sexes. The precocial chicks are cared for by both parents for eight weeks (Tarboton 2001).

    Diet:

    Forages predominantly on aquatic insects including dragonfly nymphs, larvae of other insects, beetles and ants, but also feeds on snails and occasionally on seeds (Hockey and Douie 1995, Turpie and Ryan 2005).

    Threats & Conservation

    Threats

    There is a paucity of information on threats in the literature for the species. The Long-toed Lapwing is, however, a wetland habitat specialist with a preference for wetlands with floating vegetation (Hockey and Douie 1995). Loss or change of these habitats may have an impact on the species as illustrated by the increase of birds on Lake Kariba due to an increase of alien water weeds e.g. Kariba weed Salvinia molesta and the subsequent decrease in the population after the introduction of bio-control agents to combat alien plant infestation (Ginn et al. 1989). There may be a limited number of Long-toed Lapwings removed from the wild for belief-based use as Nikolaus (2001) found a specimen during a one-month survey in 1999 covering 24 traditional medicine markets in Nigeria.

    Conservation Measures Underway

    There are no conservation measures currently in place for this species. However, should the species naturally re-establish itself within the region many of the areas where this species previously occurred are protected areas e.g. St Lucia wetlands in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Ndumu Game reserve, etc. and would benefit from these protected areas.

    Conservation Measures Proposed

    Historical evidence suggests that the species was marginal to the region. The reintroduction of the species to the region would be of very little conservation value and therefore a low priority. Other than recording and monitoring sightings of the species especially in the historical parts of the range where it used to breed, no other measures are proposed.

    Research Priorities and Questions

    The Long-Toed Lapwing has disappeared from the region and research on this species would be a low priority. It may, however, be of academic interest to determine why the species vanished from the region.

    Contributors & References

    Assessor/s

    Kevin Shaw

    Reviewer/s

    Sanjo Rose

    References

    BirdLife International. 2024. Vanellus crassirostris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024: e.T22693954A264979642. Available: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T22693954A264979642.en. [Accessed on 03 March 2025].

    Brooke RK. 1984. South African Red Data Book–Birds. Pretoria, South Africa: Foundation for Research Development: CSIR.

    Clancey PA. 1964. The Birds of Natal and Zululand. Edinburgh: Oliver& Boyd Ltd.

    Cyrus D, Robson N. 1980. Bird atlas of Natal. Pietermaritzburg: University of Natal Pres.

    Dean WRJ. 1986. On the validity of breeding records for Long-toed Plover Vanellus crassirostris in South Africa. Bulletin of the British Ornithological Club 106: 87–88.

    Gill F, Donsker D, Rasmussen P (eds). 2025. IOC World Bird List (v15.1).

    Ginn PJ, McIlleron WG, Milstein P le S (eds). 1989. The complete book of southern African birds. Cape Town: Struik.

    Hockey P, Douie C. 1995. Waders of southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik Winchester.

    Kemp AC. 1980. The importance of the Kruger National Park for bird conservation in the Republic of South Africa. Koedoe 23: 99–122.

    Nikolaus G. 2001. Bird exploitation for traditional medicine in Nigeria. Malimbus 23: 45–55.

    Tarboton WR, Kemp MI, Kemp AC. 1987. Birds of the Transvaal. Pretoria: Transvaal Museum.

    Tarboton W. 2001. A guide to the nests & eggs of southern African birds. Cape Town: Struik Publishers (Pty) Ltd.

    Taylor MR, Peacock F, Wanless RW (eds). 2015. In: The Eskom Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa. p 403.

    Turpie JK, Ryan PG. 2005. Long-toed Lapwing Vanellus crassirostris. In: Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ, Ryan PG (eds), Roberts – Birds of Southern Africa (7thEdn). Cape Town: The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. pp 407–408.

    Wetlands International. 2025. Waterbirds Populations Portal. Available: https://wpp.wetlands.org/ [Accessed on 03 March 2025].

    Wiersma P, Kirwan GM. 2020. Long-toed Lapwing (Vanellus crassirostris), version 1.0. In: del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J, Christie DA, de Juana E (eds), Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.lotlap1.01

    Citation

    Shaw K 2025. Long-toed Lapwing. In: Lee ATK, Rose S, Banda S, Bezeng SB, Maphalala MI, Maphisa DH, Smit-Robinson H (eds), The 2025 Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. Johannesburg, South Africa: BirdLife South Africa. Available at: https://www.birdlife.org.za/red-list/long-toed-lapwing/

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