Many years ago, when I was still learning about birds, I was birdwatching in the agricultural fields bordering my engineering college — IIT Kanpur. Binoculars in hand, I strode through the fields, looking for my feathered friends. All of a sudden, a few feet from me, a bird popped out of the ground and scurried away. The bird ran a few metres and then sat down again, camouflaging itself really well. Looking through my binoculars, I identified the bird as the Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus Indicus. The bird, almost a foot high when standing, has a red wattle (bare skin) near its beak. As I approached the lapwing again, it got up and ran once more. The lapwing seemed to be running in an odd manner so I looked through my binoculars and realised that the bird had a broken wing. Believing that it deserved to be rescued, I went closer to the sitting bird. Once again, the lapwing got up and ran, leaving me to do more chasing. This game continued for the next five minutes or so; the lapwing would sit on the ground, I would approach it and it would run with its broken wing. The game finally ended when suddenly, the lapwing took wing and flew away! The bird’s wing was not broken — it had been fooling me all along! Later when I read about this, I understood that the lapwing’s ‘broken wing’ act is something it uses to draw predators away from its nest site. The lapwing was obviously nesting, and hence used this ploy to draw me away from its eggs or chicks!
The red-wattled lapwing belongs to a family of birds called plovers. It is commonly seen throughout India, in fields, open countryside and clearings in cities and villages. The lapwing’s nest is just a scrape or depression on open ground, lined with mud pellets or cow dung. The bird lays three to four eggs at a time. The eggs, too, are well camouflaged, being dirty white, mottled with brown, blending in well with the ground. As it nests on open ground, it is vulnerable to predation; hence it uses camouflage and its ‘broken wing’ act to keep its eggs or chicks safe. The red-wattled lapwing is easily recognised by its call. It has a loud call which sounds like ‘did-de-dyuit’. Hence the bird is often called the ‘did-you-do-it’ bird! When the bird begins to call, it goes on and on, calling during the day, and often even at night. On many occasions at night the bird is so noisy, that I have to cover my ears to sleep, even as the lapwing keeps accusing me ‘did-you-do-it?’. No, dear lapwing, I did not do it—now please let me sleep!