Birds in Bulgaria

L 25-28 cm. Scarce breeder in SE Europe; locally numerous in Middle East. Vagrant to W Europe. Frequents bare or sparsely vegetated open ground, usually near water. Food mainly insects. Nest is lined scrape on bare ground.
IDENTIFICATION: Slightly smaller than Lapwing, and a little slimmer and longer-legged. At all ages, distinctive large white cheek patch on otherwise black head and has black breast, flanks and tail, black bill and dark grey legs. In flight at distance, best told from Sociable Lapwing by black secondaries. - Adult: Upperparts uniform pale brown. - Juvenile: Like adult, but has some pale scaly feather fringes above (e.g. on forehead) and black parts are tinged brownish-grey.
VOICE: Vocal and noisy. Squeaky single or quickly repeated ‘p(v)ik’, somewhat recalling Black-winged Stilt. Song a series of rapidly repeated high-pitched ‘titi-terit’.