Javan Lapwing Vanellus macropterus Scientific name definitions

27–29 cm; 325 g (estimated). Generally rather dark lapwing, with large bright yellow wattles (sometimes recorded as white, but perhaps only result of post-mortem fading) (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ); head, belly patch and flight-feathers deep black; upperparts, breast and upper belly dark brown; uppertail-coverts and vent white; curved, hard, black spurs (or yellow, perhaps in young or non-breeding plumage) (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ); legs yellow-orange, or fiery orange near tarsus, thereafter bright yellow with dark sepia toes (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ). Sexual and seasonal differences and juvenile plumage remain undescribed.

W & E Java; in past, perhaps Sumatra and Timor. Very possibly extinct (not seen since 1940) (2 BirdLife International (2013). IUCN Red List for birds. URL: http://www.birdlife.org (download Aug 2013). Close , 3 Collar, N.J., Scharlemann, J.P.W. and Fisher, C.T. (2000). Max E. G. Bartels and the Javan Lapwing Vanellus macropterus. Kukila. 11: 122–124. Close ).

Open areas near freshwater ponds and densely overgrown swamps with rushes/sedges and other plants (3 Collar, N.J., Scharlemann, J.P.W. and Fisher, C.T. (2000). Max E. G. Bartels and the Javan Lapwing Vanellus macropterus. Kukila. 11: 122–124. Close ); also on agricultural land such as wet cattle pasture (3 Collar, N.J., Scharlemann, J.P.W. and Fisher, C.T. (2000). Max E. G. Bartels and the Javan Lapwing Vanellus macropterus. Kukila. 11: 122–124. Close ) and abandoned paddyfields with fishponds and backed by mangroves (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ).

Apparently resident with records available from Java in all months except Feb–Mar (4 Collar, N. J., A. V. Andreev, S. Chan, M. J. Crosby, S. Subramanya, and J. A. Tobias, Editors (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Close ), but local movement or migration is suggested by its erratic occurrence at well-known localities (e.g. Ciasem Delta, Poponcol and Tegallurung) and the offshore sighting (mentioned below), and these were perhaps related to rainfall and even seasonal rice cultivation, with birds departing areas that had dried-up (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ). However, in E Java, territorial behaviour reported in even presumed non-breeding season (Nov) (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ). Some dubious reports suggest birds might have migrated to Sumatra or even Timor, though latter, in particular, generally treated with scepticism; one report of several birds perched on railing of ship off N coast of Java in 1872.

Stated to include water-living insect larvae, water bugs, beetles, snails and seeds of aquatic plants, and in captivity small fish (3 Collar, N.J., Scharlemann, J.P.W. and Fisher, C.T. (2000). Max E. G. Bartels and the Javan Lapwing Vanellus macropterus. Kukila. 11: 122–124. Close ). Recorded in groups of 4–6 birds (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ), but mostly observed in pairs or singly.

Most detailed account dates from late 1920s, wherein several different rattling calls are described, reminiscent of toy trumpets, and often given during evening, both from ground and in flight, e.g. “t[r]et t[r]et t[r]et t[r]ett[r]t!”, with faintly audible “r” sounds, then “tat tat tat tat - - tahhhhht!” alternated with "trrrek - terrrr!” or just “trrrrrrr!”; a repeated “krahhh!” and “ahhh!”, or “trahhhhwu” before take-off; an angry “krihhh!” in flight; and a non-rattling “tetetititit” in group context (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ). Vocalizations thought to be closest to V. miles (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ). Local people in E Java report that the species gave a distinctive “krek, krek, krek” call (5 Iqbal, M., Lestiyanto, T., Wibowo, W.K., Taufiqurrahman, I. and Nazar, L. (2013). In search of the Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus 274741–27412. BirdingASIA. 19: 68–72. Close ).

Breeding evidently occurred in May–Jun, in W Java. Adults observed mobbing potential predators, e.g. Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus), as late as Jul and Aug, might have still had eggs or small young (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ). Eight clutches known, seven of them taken at two localities close to Jakarta (Cabang Bungin and Rawah Tangerang), the other from an untraced locality (6 Becking, J.-H. (2009). The Bartels and other egg collections from the island of Java, Indonesia, with corrections to earlier publications of A. Hoogerwerf. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 129(1):18–48. Close ). One nest in May 1925 had four eggs and was a deep scrape with loose grass as lining (3 Collar, N.J., Scharlemann, J.P.W. and Fisher, C.T. (2000). Max E. G. Bartels and the Javan Lapwing Vanellus macropterus. Kukila. 11: 122–124. Close ), but other clutches in same collection were of single eggs or two eggs (though all perhaps incomplete) (6 Becking, J.-H. (2009). The Bartels and other egg collections from the island of Java, Indonesia, with corrections to earlier publications of A. Hoogerwerf. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 129(1):18–48. Close ); another clutch reported by a local inhabitant in mid 1950s in E Java contained two eggs (identification unconfirmed) (5 Iqbal, M., Lestiyanto, T., Wibowo, W.K., Taufiqurrahman, I. and Nazar, L. (2013). In search of the Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus 274741–27412. BirdingASIA. 19: 68–72. Close ). Egg size 44.3–47.8 mm × 30.8–33 mm (6 Becking, J.-H. (2009). The Bartels and other egg collections from the island of Java, Indonesia, with corrections to earlier publications of A. Hoogerwerf. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 129(1):18–48. Close ). No further information.

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED. Almost certainly EXTINCT. Decrease caused by agricultural intensification and particularly hunting (for both food and sport) (5 Iqbal, M., Lestiyanto, T., Wibowo, W.K., Taufiqurrahman, I. and Nazar, L. (2013). In search of the Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus 274741–27412. BirdingASIA. 19: 68–72. Close ) within presumed range, with effects exacerbated by massive growth of human population (now estimated at 124 million on Java). Several observations made on Java in late 19th century; in 1920s, collected from Citarum Delta and at Tangerang, W of Jakarta; long considered that final observation involved pair with eggs on S coast of E Java in Jun 1940, but subsequently information has come to light strongly indicating that this claim is fraudulent and that the last nest of the species to be found was in 1925 (6 Becking, J.-H. (2009). The Bartels and other egg collections from the island of Java, Indonesia, with corrections to earlier publications of A. Hoogerwerf. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 129(1):18–48. Close ), with the final, widely accepted, observations being from Poponcol and Tegallurung, on N coast of W Java, in 1927–1928, where it was still fairly common at this time (1 van Balen, S. (B.) and Nijman, V. (2007). New information on the Critically Endangered Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus, based mainly on unpublished notes by August Spennemann (c. 1878–1945). Bird Conservation International. 17(3): 225–233. Close ), and in Nov 1938 and Apr 1939 on S coast of E Java (4 Collar, N. J., A. V. Andreev, S. Chan, M. J. Crosby, S. Subramanya, and J. A. Tobias, Editors (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Close ). Specifically looked for, unsuccesfully, in 1949 and thereafter, e.g. in 1984 (4 Collar, N. J., A. V. Andreev, S. Chan, M. J. Crosby, S. Subramanya, and J. A. Tobias, Editors (2001). Threatened Birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. Close ). Systematic searches for species in first decade of 21st century focused on three main areas: Bekasi in W Java, and Lumajang and Jember, both on S coast of E Java, but also checked at least nine other localities across the island; no observations of the species were made by ornithologists, but interviews with local birdwatchers and inhabitants revealed claims of V. macropterus, some of them reasonably detailed recalling specific dates and plumage details, from the mid 1950s, 1980s and 1999 (Jember), 1994, 2004 and 2005 (Lumajang) and 2002–2003 and 2010 (Bekasi), and further surveys are planned of additional areas, with Belitung I regarded as a priority in this respect (5 Iqbal, M., Lestiyanto, T., Wibowo, W.K., Taufiqurrahman, I. and Nazar, L. (2013). In search of the Javanese Lapwing Vanellus macropterus 274741–27412. BirdingASIA. 19: 68–72. Close ). Claimed to have bred in Sumatra, on grounds of single specimen and egg, although accuracy of collecting labels has been questioned. Traditionally listed as occurring on Timor, but origin of three specimens thus labelled appears highly dubious.