Spur-winged Lapwing/Plover
Vanellus spinosus
Observed along the shores of Lake Bogoria, Kenya. October 2010.
These birds hunt mostly small arthropods that occur in shallow water or wet short-grass areas. There is a small claw beneath the feathers in each wing used occasionally in defense. These birds are conspicuous in plumage and with their loud calls. Spur-winged Lapwing ranges across northern and Sub-Saharan Africa and also the Mediterranean.
Charadriidae -- Plover Family
Books:
- Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania by Zimmerman et al.
- Birds of East Africa by Stevenson and Fanshawe