red wattled lapwing

The red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is a large lapwing, measuring 30 to 35 cm in length and weighing 110 to 230 grams. The wingspan is 80 to 85 cms. The upperparts and wings are pale brown with purple sheen. The head, neck, chin, throat, breast and upper belly are black. A prominent white patch runs from the sides of the crown to the flanks along the sides of the neck. The lower belly, vent region and the undertail of the red-wattled lapwing are white. The rump is white. The short black tail is tipped white. In flight, prominent white wing bars are seen. The red-wattled lapwing bill is reddish with black tip. The irises are reddish brown. There is reddish eye-ring connected to the small, reddish, fleshy wattle. The long feet are yellow. The red-wattled lapwing male and female are similar in plumage.

These red-wattled lapwing species do not normally occur in forest. These species normally occur in altitudes from 0 to 1800 meters.
The artificial ecosystems and habitats of these lapwing species include cultivated lands, corn fields, grass fields, pasturelands, fallow agricultural fields, ploughed lands and rural gardens.
The natural ecosystems and habitats of these red-wattled lapwing species include open forests, wetlands, flooded grasslands, riverine gravel islands, montane plains and ravines, freshwater marshes, rivers and streams.

The diet of red-wattled lapwing consists mainly of insects. Beetles, ants, termites, grasshoppers, crickets, butterflies, insect imagoes, insect larvae, small gastropods, crustaceans and worms are their primary food.
The red-wattled lapwings also feed on seeds, grains and other plant matter. They forage mostly on the ground. They also scratch the ground with their long, strong legs to bring out the prey hiding in the soil.

An agitated and penetrating did he do it, did he do it and a less intrusive did did did.

The red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is an Asian lapwing or large plover a wader in the family Charadriidae. Like other lapwings they are ground birds that are incapable of perching. 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. Usually seen in pairs or small groups and usually not far from water they sometimes form large aggregations in the non-breeding season (winter). They nest in a ground scrape laying three to four camouflaged eggs. Adults near the nest fly around diving at potential predators while calling noisily. The cryptically patterned chicks hatch and immediately follow their parents to feed hiding by lying low on the ground or in the grass when threatened. Red-wattled lapwings are large waders about 35 cm (14 in) long. 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 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. In flight prominent white wing bars formed by the white on the secondary coverts. Race aigneri is slightly paler and larger than the nominate race and is found in Turkey Iran Iraq Afghanistan and the Indus valley. The nominate race is found all over India. The Sri Lankan race lankae is smaller and dark while atronuchalis the race in north-eastern India and eastern Bangladesh has a white cheek surrounded by black. Males and females are similar in plumage but males have a 5% longer wing and tend to have a longer carpal spur. The length of the birds is 320&ndash350 mm wing of 208&ndash247 mm with the nominate averaging 223 mm Sri Lanka 217 mm. The Bill is 31&ndash36 mm and tarsus of 70&ndash83 mm. Tail length is 104&ndash128 mm. It usually keeps in pairs or trios in well-watered open country ploughed fields grazing land and margins and dry beds of tanks and puddles. They occasionally form large flocks ranging from 26 to 200 birds. It is also found in forest clearings around rain-filled depressions. It runs about in short spurts and dips forward obliquely (with unflexed legs) to pick up food in a typical plover manner. They are said to feed at night being especially active around the full moon. Is uncannily and ceaselessly vigilant day or night and is the first to detect intrusions and raise an alarm and was therefore considered a nuisance by hunters. Flight rather slow with deliberate flaps but capable of remarkable agility when defending nest or being hunted by a hawk. Its striking appearance is supplemented by its noisy nature with a loud and scolding did-he-do-it call uttered both in the day and night.