Breeding season for masked lapwings in Tasmania: How to avoid plover nests

They have a reputation for swooping, but it turns out the plover is just a misunderstood parent protecting its young. Here’s why they might be more protective right now and how to avoid their wrath.

The masked lapwing, also known as the masked plover and often called the spur-winged plover or just plover. Image: Richard Jupe

The common plover, or masked lapwing, doesn’t have the best reputation.

The birds are known in Tasmania for being aggressive and for swooping, but what many might not know is the behaviour comes with the new territory of being a parent.

As the birds begin nesting, Tasmanians are urged to keep an eye out for them, or potentially face their wrath.

NRE Tas Senior Wildlife management officer Robbie Gaffney said spring was the main breeding period, but some birds would begin as early as June or as late as Christmas.

“Usually they’ll only have one clutch if successful, if environmental conditions are favourable the can have a second clutch,” he said.

“The eggs take 28-30 days to incubate.”

Plover in a puddle. Glenorchy, November 15. Image: Kelvin Ball

Mr Gaffney said there were many threats to the nests, including dogs and cars, while larger birds like ravens and currawongs often raided nests.

He said plover nesting habits didn’t help the situation.

“They’re easily trodden on or broken,” he said.

“Sometimes they’ll nest in inconvenient locations. If you don’t know they’re there it’s easy to not notice them.

“It’ll be on nature strips, school grounds, we’ve had them nest in the grounds of childcare centres.

Masked lapwing plover and chicks. Picture: (c) Eric J Woehler, BirdLife Tasmania

“They will often nest on flat roofs, we’ve had them nest on supermarket roofs.

“Anywhere where they get a 360 degree view of their environment, they like to have a good view of their surroundings.”

Mr Gaffney said aggressive behaviour generally increased the closer the chicks came to hatching

But there were warning signs before a bird would resort to swooping.

“They have a very raucous alarm call which intensifies as you get closer to the nest, and that leads to swooping if you continue to get closer and encroach on the nest,” he said.

A Spur Winged Plover, also known as a Masked Lapwing, swooping. Picture Jay Town.

If the warnings were ignored, those who overstepped could expect the birds to follow through with their threat.

“They’re not as scary as people make out,’ Mr Gaffney said.

“They are aggressive, but they very rarely strike. When they do strike it’s because the birds have overcomitted, it’s a threat display.

“They do come in and swoop very closely, they’ll come in from behind, a bit like a fighter pilot.

“They’ll use the sun as camouflage so you can’t see them.

“They’re not like magpies on the mainland that do deliberately strike with their beak.”

He said tolerance was often the best way to deal with the birds during the incubation period.

“The reason that is if we can get those chicks hatched, the adults will move the chicks away to a less disturbed areas,” he said.

“If people can put up with the inconvenience for four weeks, that solves the problem

“If you can give them as much space as possible, that’s ideal.’

In Tasmania they’re a common species, but there could be penalties for those who interfere with nests.

“They’re wholly protected, they’re a native species so they’re protected under the Nature Conservation Act,” Mr Gaffney said.

“We can issue permits to destroy nests, but that will encourage birds to re-lay, they’ll re-nest usually in the same vicinity.”