Peewit (vanellus vanellus) lapwing

This wading bird is a common breeder across The Netherlands and western Europe: the peewit or lapwing.
They breed in huge numbers on the meadows of the wadden region. The female nests on the ground and generally lays 4 eggs. They rely on tiny animals and insects. In February and March they come to the wadden area. In August and September they return to the Mediterranean. In soft winters some may not migrate.
Visit WWW.STOCKSHOT.NL for highres version or broadcast video footage. More birdlife available!

[@ianegfp]

It's a wonderful thing to be able to read about a bird in a book (The Don Flows Home to the Sea) and then see a video of it chirping and enjoying its natural habitat. Thank you, screenshot!

[@GraemePDCC]

one of my favourite birds

[@jawnsushi]

Shout out to Watership Down for bringing me here holla

[@azarashichen]

Interesting that a handful of similar-sounding names in European languages are said to be imitative of its call according to some online etymological dictionaries: peewit (English), bíbic /bíbits/ (Hungarian), Kiebitz (German), kieviet (Dutch), ķīvīte (Latvian), kiivitaja (Estonian), чибис /chybys/ (Russian). It's said that its supposed Polish equivalent kibic /kibits/ has come to mean 'fan/supporter' through argot!

[@margaretparsons7345]

Lapwing