Plover, not a fighter: masked lapwing nesting on Tasmanian cricket ground indifferent as play continues

A feathered neighbour at Windsor Park

At Windsor Park in Riverside, just outside Launceston in northern Tasmania, a masked lapwing has claimed prime real estate in the middle of a community sports ground, showing complete indifference to the weekend cricket matches taking place around it.

Masked lapwing nesting on a sports ground

Warming a nest of eggs, the bird has been affectionately dubbed "Faf Swoop Plessis" by locals, a play on former South African cricket captain Faf du Plessis. Because the species is protected under state law, with fines of up to $21,300 for disturbing nests, ground staff have had to mow around the site, while players steer clear.

A sporting truce

During a match early in the season, Great Northern Raiders player Caleb Brewer drew the short straw and was stationed directly beside the nest. "At the start it was pretty weird, but towards the middle we kind of got used to it and the plover wasn't too bad at the end," Brewer told local paper The Examiner.

The following weekend, Riverside first-grade opener Josh Partridge was tasked with fielding near the plover, and reached a peaceful "mutual understanding", according to The Examiner. "It was like the plover knew there was a game of cricket going on," he said. "We weren't interfering with what was going on in its life, so it didn't want to interfere with what was going on in ours."

Mark Holdsworth OAM from BirdLife Tasmania says such truces are common. "Lapwings will often become accustomed to the local patterns of people using a site and in many situations people modify their behaviour to avoid the core nesting area," Holdsworth said. Everyone has learned to live with each other.

Why ovals make sense for plovers

While masked lapwings, widely known across Australia as plovers, have an intimidating call and a reputation for swooping during spring nesting season, choosing a wide-open lawn is a calculated survival tactic. Sports ovals are a "fantastic place" for them to nest, Holdsworth said, because unobstructed views mean parent birds can spot threats early.

Sean Dooley from BirdLife Australia said the behaviour makes sense for the birds. "The places they choose to nest can seem crazy from our perspective, but there is logic to it," Dooley said. "They like to nest out in the open so they can see danger coming and they rely on camouflage to hide their eggs and their chicks. So by nesting on an oval, they have a clear view in all directions."

He said that when people give the bird a wide berth, lapwings generally realise they are not under threat. "They definitely aren't out to get us by nature, they really only care about making sure their chicks aren't being threatened," Dooley said. "Swooping isn't their only tactic; they also put on a display that mimics having a broken wing to lure potential threats away. They're just being good parents and doing all they can to protect their young."

Council keeps its distance

West Tamar mayor Christina Holmdahl said council maintenance teams look after dozens of parks and sporting grounds across the municipality, encountering at least 10 nesting sites every year. "Given the protected listing of the masked lapwings in Tasmania, our staff take their responsibility of looking after these birds very seriously and take extra precautions to protect the birds and any nests they find," Holmdahl said.

Council workers maintain strict buffer zones around the birds and their nests during maintenance. "The plovers never act aggressively towards our staff on the ground," she said.

Part of the Aussie Bird Count

The standoff coincides with the annual Aussie Bird Count, which runs from Monday 19 October. Now in its 13th year, the national citizen science project invites the public to record bird sightings to help researchers track how native species are coping with urban development and a changing climate. Last year, the Australian magpie was the most commonly spotted species, while the rainbow lorikeet recorded the highest overall tally.

"The count is a great opportunity to discover the birds that share your neighbourhood and understand more about them," BirdLife Australia's James Johnson said. "For many of us, that's likely to include the amazing masked lapwing."