Masked Lapwing

There are 62 species of Plover found all over the world. The majority are long legged birds of marsh or grassland, inland or coastal, with obvious exceptions from desert to mountain.

The nest is usually some form of scrape on the ground, with the eggs being heavily marked as camouflage, because of the openness of the nest. When the chicks hatch they will be walking with their parents within hours. However, when the parents are away the birds will hide separately until the parents return. The chicks are generally heavily marked like the eggs as camouflage because they are quite vulnerable, being active from the day of hatch. Masked Plovers lay 2-3 eggs, which they will incubate for about 28 days.

Diet: Insects, seeds and vegetable matter.

Distribution: Australia 

Status in the wild:  Least Concern