Yellow-wattled Lapwing
Yellow-wattled LapwingYellow-wattled LapwingYellow-wattled LapwingYellow-wattled Lapwing

Yellow-wattled Lapwing

Vanellus malabaricus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Wilpattu National Park
41 Verified records at Wilpattu National Park
May Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's active at dawn and dusk

The yellow-wattled lapwing (Vanellus malabaricus) is a lapwing that is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. It is found mainly on the dry plains of peninsular India and has a sharp call and is capable of fast flight. Although they do not migrate, they are known to make seasonal movements in response to rains. They are dull grey brown with a black cap, yellow legs and a triangular wattle at the base of the beak. Like other lapwings and plovers, they are ground birds and their nest is a mere collection of tiny pebbles within which their well camouflaged eggs are laid. The chicks are nidifugous, leaving the nest shortly after hatching and following their parents to forage for food. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-wattled Lapwing sighting in Wilpattu National Park, based on 41 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Wilpattu National Park

Red-wattled Lapwing
LC Endemic

Red-wattled Lapwing

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Vanellus indicus

70–80% · Very likely
Pacific Golden-Plover
LC

Pacific Golden-Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pluvialis fulva

30–40% · Possible
Kentish Plover
LC

Kentish Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Charadrius alexandrinus

5–10% · With luck
Greater Sandplover
LC

Greater Sandplover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Charadrius leschenaultii

Insufficient data
Black-bellied Plover
VU

Black-bellied Plover

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pluvialis squatarola

Insufficient data
Black-winged Stilt
LC

Black-winged Stilt

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Himantopus himantopus

50–60% · Likely
Whiskered Tern
LC

Whiskered Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chlidonias hybrida

40–50% · Likely
Great Thick-knee
NT

Great Thick-knee

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Esacus recurvirostris

30–40% · Possible
Wood Sandpiper
LC

Wood Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa glareola

30–40% · Possible
Common Sandpiper
LC

Common Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Actitis hypoleucos

20–30% · Possible
Marsh Sandpiper
LC

Marsh Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa stagnatilis

10–20% · With luck
Pheasant-tailed Jacana
LC

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydrophasianus chirurgus

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
10–20
Feb
10–20
Mar
5–10
Apr
10–20
May
5–10
Jun
10–20
Jul
5–10
Aug
<5
Sep
5–10
Oct
5–10
Nov
10–20
Dec

🌅 When They're Spotted

Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)

🌅Crepuscular
☀️🌙🌙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 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
30–40%
2 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
20–30%
3 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
4 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
10–20%
5 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
5–10%
6 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
5–10%
7 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
8 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
9 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
10 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
11 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
12 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
13 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
14 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Yellow-wattled Lapwing in Wilpattu National Park?

About 9% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-wattled Lapwing sighting in Wilpattu National Park, based on 41 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Yellow-wattled Lapwing in Wilpattu National Park?

May has the highest sighting rate for Yellow-wattled Lapwing in Wilpattu National Park in our monthly data.

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