Backyard Buddies: Masked Avenger, Phantom of the Outdoors

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01 Jun 2011

The ‘Masked Avenger’ is out and about right now. Named for its bright yellow facial mask, the native bird the Masked Lapwing can strike fear into the hearts of pets and people when it swoops. But Backyard Buddies wants you to know that this ‘Phantom of the Outdoors’ is only protecting its vulnerable nest, and that there’s a lot to love about these fascinating birds.

Backyard Buddies is a free program run by Australia’s Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. Each month, you get a Backyard Buddies email (B-mail) with tips to make your backyard inviting and safe for native animals. Masked Lapwings featured in June B-mail. Sign up for B-mail and download a free factsheet about Masked Lapwings at www.backyardbuddies.net.au.

“Masked Lapwings breed after rains, in summer and autumn in the north of Australia. Some young chicks may still be with their parents now,” said Ms Leonie Gale, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.

Lapwings breed after rains in winter and spring in the south east of Australia.

“As Lapwings don’t nest high up in a tree, but out in the open on the ground, they are quite exposed and vulnerable. This explains why they are such fierce protectors of their nests and why they scream and swoop at anything that comes too close.”

“It’s easy to be a Buddy to Lapwings, also called Plovers, and avoid being swooped at the same time.” Ms Gale said.

Tips to avoid being swooped:

Vary your walking route to avoid Lapwing nests for the next few weeks. Lapwings only swoop before they lay their eggs and after their chicks hatch. The rest of the time, they are quite shy.
Hop off your bike and walk past Lapwing nests.
Wear a hat while walking past. Avoid making eye contact or staring directly at the birds.
Don’t run away in panic as this could encourage them.
Travel in a group past the nests if possible, as Lapwings are more likely to swoop lone walkers.
Watch where you put your feet so you don’t step on any eggs or a nest amongst the grass!
Check for eggs or nests before you mow the lawn to avoid a Lapwing disaster.
Don’t remove eggs. It’s illegal, and the birds will only re-nest and re-lay.
Keep cats indoors as much as possible and train your dog to keep a safe distance from bird nests.

“Enjoy Lapwings in your area, don’t fear them,” said Ms Gale. “These birds are all bluff. Though they can be noisy when protecting the nest and have small spurs on their wings, they rarely make contact if they swoop.”

“They are just trying to encourage you to stay a safe difference away from their nest or chicks. They have very strong parental instincts and they are only trying to defend young which can’t defend themselves.”

“Lapwings are quite fascinating birds to observe,” said Ms Gale. “If swooping doesn’t deter a predator, the Lapwing flies a short distance away and then begins some curious behaviour. It hops on one leg, or lies on the ground flapping its wings limply. It will pretend to be injured to draw the predator away. It puts itself in harm’s way for the sake of its young. They are very dedicated defenders.”

Masked Lapwings in northern Australia are olive-brown above and white underneath, with black feathers on their head that look like a bit like a hat. The northern race of Masked Lapwings has a thin olive-brown stripe on the back of its neck. Its mask extends above and behind its yellow eyes, and is bigger than the mask of the southern species.

“Lapwing chicks are gorgeous to watch, and if you listen closely you’ll be able to understand how the parent birds communicate with their bubs,” said Ms Gale.

“Adult Lapwings make a long, drawn out call to tell their chicks to come in close. To tell their chicks to move away, adults make a single chirp every few seconds. Lapwings also call ‘keer-kick-ki-ki-ki’ during the day and night, so listen out for them calling after dark.”

“I’ve also heard that some people think these birds have a poison in their spurs or in their feet. I want to debunk this right now—it is completely an urban myth!” said Ms Gale. “It just goes to show that the danger of these birds has been exaggerated. Enjoy the Lapwings’ antics, don’t worry about them.”

Backyard Buddies: Masked Avenger, Phantom of the Outdoors

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