Another Rare Bird - Our Third

New Brunswick has yet another rare bird, and this one is very rare and exciting!  A NORTHERN LAPWING has been discovered at St. Martins in southern New Brunswick on the Fundy coast.  Apparently this bird has been around for about a week and has been seen feeding and roosting at the campground there. 

The Northern Lapwing is a species of the Northern Hemisphere living mainly in Europe and Asia.  Occasionally it strays to North America and when it does it is usually seen on the northern coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador.  It is rare there and it is very rare that it strays down the eastern seaboard.  Previous records from NB are from 1927, 1956, 1966, and 1991.  

The lapwing is a large plover, 32 cm long (12.5 inches).  For comparison, our Blue Jay is 28 cm (11 inches) long.  The Lapwing likes grassy and shrubby open areas near the ocean.  It feeds on insects and other small invertebrates by running along the ground, stopping and pecking much like the behaviour of our killdeer which is also a plover.  

When I saw this bird yesterday, it was very active and appeared healthy.  We wish it well in its quest for food and shelter here in NB.