A tiny chick runs directly on the shore of a lake on Lake Neusiedl. Still completely disheveled and barely freed from the eggshell, the tiny chick from the offspring of the Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) trips off into the surrounding area on an exploratory tour. With every step the little precocious bird becomes safer and braver. A little too brave, think its mother. Because the little bird emerges from the dense bank vegetation. The call of a bird of prey – probably a Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) – can be heard in the distance. Has the Common Buzzard spotted the little wading bird yet? In any case, the mother warns and calls the little nestling back into the thick reeds.
Northern Lapwing chicks are known for their early social behavior, meaning they are relatively independent shortly after hatching. Unlike other birds, which are born helpless and rely heavily on their parents’ care, Lapwing chicks are born with their eyes open, covered in down feathers, and able to move around shortly after hatching. They are so-called precocials.
Lapwing chicks can walk and run just after few hours after hatching. This early mobility is an adaptation that helps them quickly move away from the nesting site. This means that a long-term safe breeding place is not so important and thus reduces the risk of being surprised by predators.
The young Northern Lapwing chicks actively search for food shortly after they hatch. They feed on small invertebrates such as insects, insect larvae and other invertebrates found in the wetlands where they are often born.
While the chicks are relatively independent, the parents continue to play a crucial role in providing guidance, protection and nutrition. The adults may guide the chicks to appropriate feeding areas and alert them to possible dangers. Northern Lapwing chicks grow quickly and develop acceptable flight skills within just a few weeks.
The observation of lapwing chicks running around shortly after birth is a common sight in their natural habitats. Their early mobility and foraging ability contribute to their chances of survival in the wild. It is worth noting that Northern Lapwing are ground-nesting birds and their chicks are exposed to various environmental influences from a young age, so early and mobile development is crucial for their survival.
Observing the behavior of nestlings in the wild can be challenging, as parent birds are quite cautious and secretive during breeding and especially afterwards. Researchers and bird watchers therefore often use so-called hides or blinds or use permanently installed wildlife cameras to examine species-typical behavior without disturbing the nesting birds.
The landscape in the easternmost tip of Austria is a typical Puszta landscape with numerous, small, shallow salt lakes, the so-called Lacken, and Lake Neusiedl, which is just over a meter deep. It is therefore called the Seewinkel. With an area of around 320 km2, almost half of which is covered with tall reeds, it is considered the largest steppe lake in Europe and has a significant influence on the climate in this area. The many meadows and water areas of the Seewinkel offer good photo opportunities, for example the Zitzmannsdorfer Wiesen and, further south, the Illmitz-Hölle. Not only migratory birds find suitable feeding and resting places here in spring and late summer. The area is also very valuable as a breeding area. The Lower Stinkersee maintains its water level longest in summer, so there are still some birds to see here even in midsummer.
To meet the growing demand for top-of-the-line images of the rarer Palaearctic species, Bird-lens.com strives to expand the range of images of Western Palaearctic birds. Trips to many locations to take pictures of rare western Palearctic birds have been very successful. This nice picture of the blog is just a first impression of what you can find in the gallery in the “Picture Shop” very soon. Please leave a message if bird-lens.com can provide a picture.