Hindi Name – Tithiri
Species: Vanellus indicus
Origin – Asia
Size – 14 inches
Breeding season – March to August
Family – The red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is an Asian lapwing or large plover (14 inches), a wader in the family Charadriidae.
Description – The wings and back are light brown with a purple to green sheen, but the head, a bib on the front and back of the neck are black. Prominently white patch runs between these two colours, from belly and tail, flanking the neck to the sides of the crown. Short tail is tipped black. A red fleshy wattle in front of each eye, black-tipped red bill, and the long legs are yellow.
Breeding Season – The breeding season is mainly March to August.
Diet – The diet of the lapwing includes a range of insects, snails and other invertebrates, mostly picked from the ground. They may also feed on some grains.
Habitat – They are seen as pairs in forest clearings in and around rain-filled depressions. They are seen in open areas of lowlands which are 1,800m above sea level. The other places where red-wattled lapwing inhabits are sites closer to freshwater such as rivers, wet grasslands, streams, marshes, creeks and pools.
Distinct Feature – Their characteristic loud alarm calls are indicators of human or animal movements and the sounds have been variously rendered as did he do it or pity to do it leading to the colloquial name of did-he-do-it bird.