The Andean Lapwing walks through high Andean grasslands and wet open ground to feed. Pairs defend territories and call loudly.
Its head and chest are gray, its belly is white, and the dark brown upperparts have a metallic sheen. Its legs, eyes, and bill are red.
It feeds in open grassland and wetlands. Pairs defend territories and make loud calls.
It searches the ground and grass for earthworms, beetle larvae and grasshoppers.
The nest is a shallow ground scrape lined with dry grass, sometimes near rocks where chicks can hide. The few nests described contained four pale brown eggs with dark brown spots.
The bill has a black tip and the head lacks a crest. In flight a broad white bar crosses the wide wings. The tail has a white base and a black end with a white edge.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.