White Crowned Lapwing

[Ken Watkins]

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

[Dan Brown]

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!

[Alan Murphy]

I can't take my eyes of thos spurs. Great shot.

[Betsie Storm]

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:)

[Stu Bowie]

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.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

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.

[Arthur Morris]

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) :)

[Ken Watkins]

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?

[Arthur Morris]

The spurs are most likely use in courtship battles but also possibly in general defense.

[Mark Young]

Lovely shorebird image Ken. Those wattles are huge!

[Ken Watkins]

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?