Crowned Lapwing/Plover
Vanellus coronatus
Observed on the plains of Amboseli parts of which are a seasonal lake. Kenya, March 2011.
From From Wikipedia: This is a shorebird of the lapwing subfamily that occurs contiguously from the Red Sea coast of Somalia to southern and southwestern Africa. It is an adaptable and numerous species, with bold and noisy habits. It is related to the more localized Black-winged and Senegal Lapwings, with which it shares some plumage characteristics.
The Crowned Lapwing is easily recognized by its combination of brown and white colours, with most tellingly, a black crown intersected by an annular white halo. Adults are noisy and conspicuous. Males measure on average 3% larger than females. Juveniles are dull versions of adults, vermiculated on the wings and mantle, the legs yellowy rather than red and the bill lacking the red base.
Charadriidae -- Plover Family
Books:
- Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania by Zimmerman et al.
- Birds of East Africa by Stevenson and Fanshawe