Sociable Lapwing :: Vanellus gregarius
Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 077
On today’s show we learn about the Sociable Lapwing, a critically endangered migratory avian, a bird, native to breeding grounds in Kazakhstan and wintering sites in Sudan, India, Pakistan, and in small pockets across the Middle East. Its scientific name is Vanellus gregarius and it was first described in 1771.
(00:05) Intro
(02:05) Species Information
(26:56) Citations
(28:55) Music
(36:53) Pledge
Research for today’s show was compiled from:
Berdahl, Andrew M., Albert B. Kao, Andrea Flack, Peter A. H. Westley, Edward A. Codling, Iain D. Couzin, Anthony I. Dell, and Dora Biro. 2018. "Collective Animal Navigation and Migratory Culture: From Theoretical Models to Empirical Evidence." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 373 (1746): 20170009. – https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2017.0009
Bhagwat, T., Urazaliyev, R., Nill, L. et al. Habitat suitability for Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) increases across its global range, but populations continue to decline. Journal of Ornithology. – https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-025-02357-2
BirdLife International. 2019. Vanellus gregarius (amended version of 2018 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T22694053A155545788. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22694053A155545788.en
Biricik, M. (2009). Unexpectedly large number of Sociable Lapwings, Vanellus gregarius, on autumn migration in Turkey and some remarks on the stopover site. Ornithological Society of the Middle East. n.d. Sandgrouse. Vol. 31. 15-17. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44744626
Donald, P.F., Kamp, J., Green, R.E. et al. Migration strategy, site fidelity and population size of the globally threatened Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius. Journal of Ornithology 162, 349–367 (2021). – https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-020-01844-y
Eichhorn, G. & Heinicke, T. Notable observations of the Sociable Plover Vanellus gregarius from Tengiz-Korgalzhyn area- central Kazakstan. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 93: 73-76. – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304571137_Notable_observations_of_the_Sociable_Plover_Vanellus_gregarius_from_the_Tengiz_-_Korgalzhyn_area_central_Kazakstan
Fijen, Thijs. (2013). Xeno-Canto. Sound Recording. XC145086. – www.xeno-canto.org/145086
Gallo Orsi, Umberto, and Canan Orhun, comps. 2008. "Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius)." In Review of the Implementation and the Effectiveness of 15 Single Species Action Plans for Migratory Waterbird Species, 55–56. AEWA Technical Series No. 30. Bonn, Germany: UNEP/AEWA Secretariat. – https://www.unep-aewa.org/sites/default/files/publication/ts30_ssap_review_final_0_0.pdf
iNaturalist – https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?nelat=50.636602954&nelng=70.232115181&quality_grade=research&subview=map&swlat=50.336026198&swlng=69.740476998&view=species
Kamp, J., Sheldon, R.D., Koshkin, M.A., Donald, P.F. And Biedermann, R. (2009), Post-Soviet steppe management causes pronounced synanthropy in the globally threatened Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius. Ibis, 151: 452-463. – https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2009.00938.x
Keijl, Guido, Simon Delany, Jeff Kirby, and Tim Dodman. 2009. "Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius." In An Atlas of Wader Populations in Africa and Western Eurasia, edited by Simon Delany, Derek Scott, Tim Dodman, and David Stroud, 171–174. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Wetlands International – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276264669_Sociable_Lapwing_Vanellus_gregarius
Lambert, Frank (2025). Xeno-Canto. Sound Recording. XC1030408. – www.xeno-canto.org/1030408
Moldován, I. & Sándor, A. (2010). "Observation of a large flock of sociable Lapwings Vanellus gregarius in southeast Egypt". Ornithological Society of the Middle East. n.d. Sandgrouse. Vol. 32. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44754785
Sheldon, R.D., Kamp, J., Koshkin, M.A. et al. Breeding ecology of the globally threatened Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius and the demographic drivers of recent declines. Journal of Ornithology 154, 501–516 (2013). – https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-012-0921-4
Sheldon, R.D., Koshkin, M.A., Kamp, J., Dereliev, S., Donald, P.F., & Jbour, S. (Compilers). 2012. International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius). CMS Technical Series No. 28, AEWA Technical Series No. 47. Bonn, Germany – https://www.unep-aewa.org/publication/international-single-species-action-plan-conservation-sociable-lapwing-ts-no-47
Watson, M., Wilson, J.M., Koshkin, M., Sherbakov, B., Karpov, F., Gavrilov, A., Schielzeth, H., Brombacher, M., Collar, N.J. And Cresswell, W. (2006), Nest survival and productivity of the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius. Ibis, 148: 489-502. – https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2006.00555.x
Wiersma, P., G. M. Kirwan, and C. J. Sharpe (2020). Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. – https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.soclap1.0
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociable_lapwing
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A note on accuracy: I strive for it! These episodes are well-researched and built from scholarly sources, hoping to provide an informed and accurate portrait of these species. That said, I’m a musician! I am not an academic and have limited scientific background. I may get things wrong! If you are using this podcast for scholarship of any kind, please see the cited sources and double-check all information.