Grey-headed Lapwing

Grey-headed Lapwing (Vanellus cinereus) is a large lapwing with grey head and neck, chestnut breast, white belly and broad black breast band. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It uses riverbanks, rice fields and wet farmland, walking deliberately while taking insects, worms and other small prey. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).