About 500 varieties of birds make the fauna of Kerala, the small southern Indian state rich and colourful. There are 16 species endemic to the Western Ghats region.
The Red Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is a wader (long-legged wading birds like herons) belonging to the family Charadriidae. It is sometimes nicknamed the ‘did-you-do-it’ bird because its call sounds thus to the human ears.
These birds are mostly seen in wetland regions in southern Asia. They are large in size with a length of 35 centimetres. The wings and back of the Red Wattled Lapwing are light brown. The head, chest and the front part of the neck are black.
There is a red fleshy wattle in front of each eye. The bill is red and black tipped. The long legs are yellowish. When they fly, a prominent white V-shaped wing bar appears on the wing.
Rea Wattled Lapwings are slow fliers, with deliberate flaps. However, they exhibit wonderful agility when attacked or while defending their nest.
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