Lapwings are any of various ground-nesting birds akin to plovers and dotterels. They range from 10 to 16 inches in length.
The traditional terms "plover", "lapwing", and "dotterel" do not correspond exactly to current taxonomic models; thus, several of the Vanellinae are often called plovers, and one a dotterel, while a few of the "true" plovers are known colloquially as lapwings. From Wikipedia
