Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover, Bontbekplevier, Sandregenpfeifer, Borrelho-grande-de-coleira, Chorlitejo Grande

Spotted in the Alentejo region of Portugal.                                         Ringed Plover sound    

The Common Ringed Plover or Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) is a small plover.

Ringed Plover Birding Portugal
Ringed Plover

Adults are 17-19.5 cm in length with a 35–41 cm wingspan. They have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes and a short orange and black bill. The legs are orange and only the outer two toes are slightly webbed, unlike the slightly smaller but otherwise very similar Semipalmated Plover, which has all three toes slightly webbed, and also a marginally narrower breast band; it was in former times included in the present species. Juvenile Ringed Plovers are duller than the adults in colour, with an often incomplete grey-brown breast band, a dark bill and dull yellowish-grey legs.

This species differs from the smaller Little Ringed Plover in leg colour, the head pattern, and the lack of an obvious yellow eye-ring.

The Common Ringed Plover’s breeding habitat is open ground on beaches or flats across northern Eurasia and in Arctic northeast Canada. Some birds breed inland, and in western Europe they nest as far south as northern France. They nest on the ground in an open area with little or no plant growth.

If a potential predator approaches the nest, the adult will walk away from the scrape, calling to attract the intruder and feigning a broken wing. Of course, once the intruder is far enough from the nest, the plover flies off.

Common Ringed Plovers are migratory and winter in coastal areas south to Africa. Many birds in Great Britain and northern France are resident throughout the year.

These birds forage for food on beaches, tidal flats and fields, usually by sight. They eat insects, crustaceans and worms.

There are three weakly defined subspecies, which vary slightly in size and mantle colour; they intergrade where their ranges meet:

Charadrius hiaticula hiaticula – breeds temperate western Europe north to central Scandinavia; resident or short-distance migrant to southwest Europe. Largest and palest subspecies.

Charadrius hiaticula psammodroma – breeds Iceland, Greenland, northeast Canada; wintering west Africa. Intermediate in size and colour.

Charadrius hiaticula tundrae – breeds Arctic northern Scandinavia and Asia; wintering Africa and southwest Asia. Smallest and darkest subspecies.

C. h. hiaticula and C. h. tundrae are among the taxa to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Other synonyms:

Afrikaans: Ringnekstrandkiewiet
Asturian: Mazaricu de Collar, Mazaricu Patimariellu
Breton: An nouelig bras
Catalan: Corriol gros, Fusell, Picaplatges gros, Picaplatges gros.
Catalan (Balears): Picaplatges gros, Picaplatges gros.
Valencian: Fusell
Czech: Kulík písecný, kulík píseèný
Welsh: Cornicyll cadwynog, Cornicyll modrwyog, Cwtiad torchog, Cwtyn modewyog, Hutan y môr, Hutan-y-môr, Môr-hedydd
Danish: Stor præstekrave
German: Sandregenpfeifer
English: Common Ringed Plover, Great Ringed Plover, Greater Ringed Plover, Ring Plover, Ringed Plover
Esperanto: kolumpluvio
Spanish: Chorlitejo Anillado, Chorlitejo Grande
Spanish (Mexico): chorlo semipalmeado
Spanish (Uruguay): Chorlito Semipalmado
Estonian: Liivatüll
Basque: Corriol gros, Txirritxo handi, Txirritxo handia
Finnish: Tylli
Faroese: Svarthálsa
French: Grand Gravelot, Grand Gravelot à collier, Pluvier à collier, Pluvier grand gravelot, Pluvier grand-gravelot
Frisian: Bûnte Wilster
Irish: Feadóg an fhainne, Feadóg Chladaigh, Luatharán
Gaelic: Bòdhag, Bòthag, Trìlleachan Traghad
Galician: Corriol gros, Píllara real
Manx: Feddag Ainit, Feddag fainnagh
Croatian: Kulik Blataric
Hungarian: Parti lile
Icelandic: Sandlóa
Italian: Corriere grosso
Inuktitut: Kudlekaleak, Tuujuk
Japanese: hajirokochidori, Hajiro-kochidori, Hajiro-ko-chidori, Hajiroko-chidori
Latin: Aegialitis hiaticula, Charadrius hiaticula, Charadrius hiaticulus
Lithuanian: Jurinis kirlikas
Malay: Rapang Gelang Besar
Maltese: Monakella Prima
Dutch: Bontbek plevier, Bontbekplevier
Norwegian: Prestekrave, Sandlo
Polish: sieweczka obrozna
Portuguese: borrelho grande de coleira, Borrelho-grande-de-coleira, Borrelho-semipalmado
Portuguese (Brazil): Batuíra-de-bando
Romansh: Gravarel grond
Russian: Galstuchnik
Scots: Bothag, Trilleachan traghad
Northern Sami: Buvvedat
Slovenian: komatni deževnik
Albanian: Vraponjësi i madh
Serbian: Žalar (zujavac) blataric, Žalar blataric, zujavac blataric
Swedish: Större strandpipare
Swahili: Kitwitwi Mkufu-mweusi
Xhosa: Unokrekre

 

Travel Birdwatching Holiday Alentejo, Vacation Portugal for birders to see birds on your trip. Guided Birdwatching Tours & Trips

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