Over the last few weeks there have been quite a number of accounts
of various sized flocks of Masked Lapwings.
If large flocks are being reported, there must be a concurrent decline
in numbers from some areas and a survey I did a few years ago
did show this.
I did monthly counts at Archerfield airfield, Brisbane's second airfield,
located in the SW suburbs. (Sunbird 29 (1999) 29-40).
Masked Lapwings were common there and bred each year
but over three years of counts, numbers were at a minimum
for Jan, Feb March (mean around 5) increased to a maximum over
June July Aug (mean around 30) and then dropped to between 10-20
adults, with varying numbers of juveniles from Sept - Dec.
So it seems that at this locality, at least, Masked Lapwings do leave their
breeding grounds over midsummer, and these may account for some
of the flocks reported.
Cheers
Peter
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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