Masked Lapwing
Masked Lapwing

Masked Lapwing

Vanellus miles

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
30–40% · Possible
overall probability at Booderee National Park
119 Verified records at Booderee National Park
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The masked lapwing (Vanellus miles) is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia (particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent), New Zealand and New Guinea. It spends most of its time on the ground searching for food such as insects and worms and has several distinctive calls. It is common in Australian fields, open land and where there is lots of water, and is known for its defensive swooping behaviour during the nesting season. Despite the species being also known as the masked plover and often called the spur-winged plover or just plover in its native range, lapwings are classified to their own subfamily, Vanellinae, and not to the closely related plover subfamily, Charadriinae. There are two subspecies, the nominate subspecies and the southern V. m. novaehollandiae. Wikipedia →

30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Masked Lapwing sighting in Booderee National Park, based on 119 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Booderee National Park

Hooded Plover
NT Endemic

Hooded Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thinornis cucullatus

20–30% · Possible
Black-bellied Plover
VU

Black-bellied Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pluvialis squatarola

Insufficient data
Silver Gull
Endemic

Silver Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

40–50% · Likely
Crested Tern
LC

Crested Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus bergii

10–20% · With luck
Sooty Oystercatcher
LC Endemic

Sooty Oystercatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haematopus fuliginosus

10–20% · With luck
Pied Oystercatcher
LC Endemic

Pied Oystercatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haematopus longirostris

10–20% · With luck
Ruddy Turnstone
NT

Ruddy Turnstone

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Arenaria interpres

Insufficient data
Red-necked Stint
NT

Red-necked Stint

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris ruficollis

Insufficient data
Painted Buttonquail
LC Endemic

Painted Buttonquail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turnix varius

Insufficient data
Sanderling
LC

Sanderling

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris alba

Insufficient data
Little Tern
LC

Little Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sternula albifrons

Insufficient data
Caspian Tern
LC

Caspian Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydroprogne caspia

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

40–50
Jan
30–40
Feb
20–30
Mar
30–40
Apr
30–40
May
20–30
Jun
50–60
Jul
40–50
Aug
60–70
Sep
40–50
Oct
10–20
Nov
30–40
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
50–60%
2 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
3 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
40–50%
4 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
5 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
6 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
7 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
20–30%
8 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
20–30%
9 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
10 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
11 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
12 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
13 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
14 Tongariro National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
15 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
16 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
17 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
18 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
19 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
20 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
21 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
22 Flinders Ranges National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
23 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
24 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
25 Noosa National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Masked Lapwing in Booderee National Park?

About 38% of wildlife watchers report a Masked Lapwing sighting in Booderee National Park, based on 119 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Masked Lapwing in Booderee National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Masked Lapwing in Booderee National Park in our monthly data.

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