Unique bird registered in Serbia for the first time: White-tailed lapwing spotted on Lake Ludas

Photo: Slobodan Markovic

The white-tailed lapwing was spotted on Lake Ludas. This species was registered in Serbia for the first time, and it was Levente Sekeres who managed to spot the animal.

Recommended

The white-tailed lapwing nests in Central Asia, around the Caspian and Aral seas. It can occasionally be seen in the Middle East. Birds from Asia migrate to Northeast Africa and India, while those from the Middle East do not migrate. They sometimes also reach the western part of Europe. This bird was spotted for the first time in Serbia on the shores of Lake Ludas on Wednesday, Panon RTV reports.

"A coastal bird that nests on the ground. It likes shallow water, especially meadows. It always looks for food there. Insects, smaller amphibians, spiders, that's what it eats. Egg laying also happens on the ground. So, a very typical, specific habitat is needed for this bird to lay eggs. It makes a small indentation in the ground, covering it with finer materials, blades of grass and feathers. On average, it lays four eggs, from which the young hatch in 26 to 28 days," says Oto Sekeres, head of the guard service of the Public Company Palic-Ludas.

The public company manages the habitats, with the help of bos cattle and buffaloes. Thanks to that, the white-tailed lapwing appeared. With grazing, reed is suppressed, and the newly formed wetland attracts species that are characteristic for such habitats, including birds.

"They feel safe because the plants come out of the water and there is water around them. Therefore, furry predators cannot approach the nests, and later the young so easily. That is why they can set up their nests and eggs on dry land," says Sekeres.

He added that the presence of bos cattle and buffalo has attracted insects to the area, which provide food for birds.

(Telegraf.rs)