Printable View
Taken on the Lake Manze Channel, Selous National Park, Tanzania, 29th August 2010.
I presume the black "spikes" on the breast are spurs but I can find no reference to them in my books.
EOS 1D MkIV
500mm F4 IS hand-held from drifting boat
F6.3, ISO 800, 1/2000
The mud is ugly but the bird is awesome! Love those spurs, sharpness and the eye contact. I would prefer more room on the right and a little less on the left but that's just me! Cool!
I can't take my eyes of thos spurs. Great shot.
Lovely image, Ken, great detail! I have just yesterday noticed "something" on a wattled lapwing image- also spurs, I never saw them before, amd now your post has them:)
Ken, great close up, with good IQ. Good show of the spurs, and I like the light and colours in this. One of your best IMHO. Well done.
Love it Ken. I honestly like the muddy habitat as that is most likely their home. Our Aussie lapwings have spurs so I am sure it's a lapwing thing and your should use it when it's coming in to whack you if you are close to its nest. :D Happy to be informed otherwise. I am not that knowledgeable with birds. :)
Overall a very, very appealing image mate. Kudos.
Wicked bird and spurs. You needed to get out of the boat with the lens just inches above the water (and the croc's head) :)
Thanks to everybody for their extremely encouraging comments,Lake Manze proved to be a very excellent birding area.
Much as it would be nice to be lower there are a few crocs in the area, and I am to lazy to wade through mud;)
Does anybody know what the spurs are for?
The spurs are most likely use in courtship battles but also possibly in general defense.
Lovely shorebird image Ken. Those wattles are huge!
Artie,
I have searched the internet and found nothing much here is a link to a "scientific " paper
http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzool...s_lapwings.php
I also found this quote
The Spur-winged Lapwing has shoulder spurs, which it uses to charge down predators and intruders, much like its South-American cousin the Southern Lapwing.
Mark,
Thanks, I can only wonder what the use of them is?
