Masked Lapwing Poem by Francis Duggan

Masked lapwing or spur wing plovers names they are known by
At breeding time quite noisy and not in any way shy
When nesting they do trust none as a friend
They are very aggressive with nesting borders to defend
They mob humans or animals and birds of prey
That into their nesting territory happen to stray
In defence of their eggs or young above their territory they scream as they fly
To move on invaders beyond their borders their best they do try
With dark heads yellow wattles, unders white and backs brown
Birds often seen in the countryside and in parks of every rural town
On scrape in ground four blotched olive eggs the female bird lay
In their breeding Season they proclaim their territory by night and by day
Aggressive and noisy birds with ways of their own
In eastern Australia they are widely known.