Gunlifter
| Gunlifter | ||||||||||
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Gunlifter ( Vanellus armatus ) not far from the city of Walvis Bay , Namibia |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Vanellus armatus | ||||||||||
| ( Burchell , 1822) |
The Blacksmith Plover ( Vanellus armatus ) is an African species from the family of Plover (Charadriidae). No subspecies are distinguished.
Appearance
The gun kibitz is easy to identify due to its striking black, white and gray marking. When fully grown, it reaches a body length of 31 centimeters.
The appearance of the male and female birds is the same. Fledglings have brown instead of black feathers and a brown head. Gun kibits are very vocal and have a loud alarm call.
distribution
The distribution area of the armored calf is in southern Africa ( Namibia , South Africa , Botswana , Zimbabwe , Mozambique up to Tanzania and Kenya ). In the 20th century its habitat increased with the construction of dams for agriculture. As a result, stocks have increased in both Tanzania and South Africa. The population is estimated at 100,000 to 1,000,000 individuals and is assessed by the IUCN as non-endangered ( least concern ). Armored calves are both resident birds and short-range migrants and sometimes migrate nomadically, which means they were able to quickly colonize newly created habitats.
Outside of the breeding season it often occurs in flocks.
The gunlifter can be found in wetlands of all sizes, as well as adjacent grasslands and fields. You just avoid mountainous regions. Armored calves have also opened up human settlement areas and are also found in cities, where they can be observed on golf courses and green spaces, for example.
Reproduction
The armored calf breeds in spring. The young birds slowly separate from their parents and do not return to their parents' territory.
supporting documents
literature
- Simon Delany, Derek Scott, Tim Dodman, David Stroud (Eds.): An Atlas of Wader Populations in Africa and Western Eurasia. Wetlands International , Wageningen 2009, ISBN 978-90-5882-047-1 .
- Peter Hayman, Ian Sinclair: Sasol: Birds of Southern Africa: the region's most comprehensively illustrated guide. Struik, Cape Town 2002, ISBN 978-1868727216 .
Web links
- Vanellus armatus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2006. Retrieved on January 3 of 2009.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Vanellus armatus in the Internet Bird Collection