Vanellinae are any of various crested plovers, family Charadriidae, noted for its slow, irregular wingbeat in flight and a shrill, wailing cry. Its length is 10–16 inches. They are a subfamily of medium-sized wading birds which also includes the plovers and dotterels. The Vanellinae are collectively called lapwings but also contain the ancient red-kneed dotterel. A lapwing can be thought of as a larger plover.

The traditional terms "plover", "lapwing" and "dotterel" were coined long before modern understandings of the relationships between different groups of birds emerged: in consequence, several of the Vanellinae are still often called "plovers", and the reverse also applies, albeit more rarely, to some Charadriinae (the "true" plovers and dotterels).

Genus Vanellus
Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus
White-headed plover, Vanellus albiceps
Southern lapwing, Vanellus chilensis
Grey-headed lapwing, Vanellus cinereus
Crowned lapwing, Vanellus coronatus
Long-toed lapwing, Vanellus crassirostris
River lapwing or spur-winged lapwing, Vanellus duvaucelii
Red-wattled lapwing, Vanellus indicus
Masked lapwing, Vanellus miles
Spur-winged lapwing, Vanellus spinosus
Banded lapwing, Vanellus tricolor
Blacksmith lapwing, Vanellus armatus
Black-headed lapwing, Vanellus tectus
Yellow-wattled lapwing, Vanellus malabaricus
Senegal lapwing, Vanellus lugubris
Black-winged lapwing, Vanellus melanopterus
African wattled lapwing, Vanellus senegallus
Spot-breasted lapwing, Vanellus melanocephalus
Brown-chested lapwing, Vanellus superciliosus
Javanese wattled lapwing, Vanellus macropterus
Sociable lapwing, Vanellus gregarius
White-tailed lapwing, Vanellus leucurus
Pied lapwing, Vanellus cayanus
Andean lapwing, Vanellus resplendens
Genus Erythrogonys
Red-kneed dotterel, Erythrogonys cinctus
Genus Charadrius
Kittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecuarius
Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris