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The Southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) is a bird found in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and 1 more countries. Open fields, lakes and city lawns across South America. It eats insects and other small invertebrates and fish. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

🏡 Where the Southern lapwing lives

Open fields, lakes and city lawns across South America.

🍽️ What it eats

• 🐛 Insects & bugs90%
• 🐟 Fish10%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

Hear the Southern lapwing

Recorded by Manuel Grosselet (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC1143691. Trimmed to a few seconds.

Questions about the Southern lapwing

Where does the Southern lapwing live?

The Southern lapwing lives in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, and 1 more countries. Open fields, lakes and city lawns across South America.

What does the Southern lapwing eat?

insects and other small invertebrates (about 90%), fish (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the Southern lapwing endangered?

There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

More birds from South America

• Buff-necked ibis
• Black-throated mango
• Tufted tit-tyrant
• Striped cuckoo
• Azara's spinetail
• Blue-throated macaw

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.