It is a resident breeder in most of sub-Saharan Africa outside the rainforests, although it has seasonal movements.

The tail is white, tipped black, and the long legs are yellow.

This species is a common breeder in wet lowland habitats, especially damp grassland.

It often feeds in drier habitats, such as golf courses, picking insects and other invertebrates from the ground.

The African wattled lapwing is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.