Description A curious looking bird they are indeed. Australia has some truly beautiful birds, but this is not one of them! It does has its own appeal and I personally find them rather distinctive in appearance. I would like to introduce you to the Masked Plover, AKA the Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) taken near the beach front in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The mask is rather leathery and very distinctive - they are not pretty but rather fascinating in a sinister way. They are similar in appearance to Plovers or Lapwings the world over and share the behaviour of many when it comes to protecting their young, diving on predators far larger than themselves and feigning a broken wing to lure enemies away from their nests, in the same way as the Killdeer, a American Plover
James Bennett (Mr Bennett Kent), Sissinghurst, Kent, England Member Since July 2014 Artist Statement Fine Art Wildlife and Bird photography from the UK and my travels to America and Australia.
Macro and Extreme Macro photography of insects and plants are also represented, showing the fascinating and strangely beautiful world normally invisible to the naked eye.