I have done a number of studies of this species. Formally known as the Blacksmith Plover (a name I grew up with and prefer) was a relatively common bird I would see when I was out exploring places around Johannesburg. Instantly recognizable with its mostly black and white plumage coupled with a strident call, the sound of which invokes that of a blacksmith tapping his hammer on an anvil (thus giving it its name). Not that I looked very hard at the time, but I never found a nest or even remember seeing chicks of the species. This is probably due to the adults giving warning calls whenever one approached their territory and even using a display to draw you away from the nest area. I would have liked to had done more studies of them, especially their chicks which I think are especially cute - to use a non-ornithological term! Size is about 11 x 8.5 in (28 x 22 cm), watercolor on paper.
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