Masked Lapwing

Vanellus miles

Has yellow spurs on its wings and will use them. Dive-bombs dogs, cyclists, and unsuspecting postal workers.

Population: Not numerically quantified by IUCN in the current (2016) global assessment — text states population size has not been estimated following recent taxonomic splits (V. miles vs. V. novaehollandiae); overall population trend increasing, though some populations have unknown trends
Habitat: Edges of wetlands, wet grasslands, and other moist open environments (paddocks, playing fields, mudflats, beaches), plus urban/human-altered areas (parks, gardens, carparks); adaptable to drier open country
Fun fact: The yellow (black-tipped) wing spurs are real anatomical structures, not a myth as sometimes described — but despite widespread claims they are venomous, they are not; the Masked Lapwing relies on them plus loud alarm calls, distraction displays (including feigning a broken wing or defending a nonexistent nest), and aggressive swooping to fend off intruders near its nest.
Range: Northern, central, and eastern Australia; also Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and New Zealand (the latter two via natural/self-introduced colonization from Australian source populations)
Diet: Worms, insects and other invertebrates (and their larvae) obtained by ground foraging just below the surface, plus some seeds
Size: 0.35 m
Wingspan: 0.8 m
Lifespan: 16 years

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