This lapwing is marked in black and white, with a red eye. It forages near water and pairs defend territories.
Adults have a black head, chest, and back, with a white forehead and belly. The eye is dark red, and a spur on the wing is visible in flight.
It searches for invertebrates near shallow water, and pairs defend territories.
In southern Africa it lines a ground scrape near water with vegetation, small stones and dry mud flakes, and lays 1–4 eggs. Both parents incubate.
Chicks leave the nest within hours of hatching and initially stay close to their parents. Adults warn the young when predators approach.
The bill and legs are black. Juveniles have pale buff edges to the crown and upperpart feathers, producing a mottled appearance, and white on the throat and neck.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.