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Crowned Plover - Vanellus armatus
Plovers are common residents to Botswana.
The crowned plover is distinguished by a white circle surrounding a black
cap, plus mainly red bill and red legs; the eyes are usually pale yellow,
sometimes dark brown.
Plovers can be very noisy at times, calling
'kie-weeet' on the ground or a repeated, shrill 'kree-kree-kreeip-kreeip...'
in flight, day or night. Pairs and groups occur on dry, open ground, areas
of short or burnt grass, on airfield and road verges.
Both the male and the female take turns to
sit on the nest during the incubation period of 30 days. The fledgling
period, when birds are dependent on the parents, lasts 40 days. Anyone
who knows the crowned plover will acknowledge this characteristic of one
of Africa's least frightened creatures, whose small size makes its courage
that much more admirable.
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