plovers

Plovers are small to medium-sized wading birds in the family Charadriidae, order Charadriiformes. They occupy a wide range of open habitats, including coastal beaches, estuaries, tidal flats, riverbanks, and inland wetlands, with a global distribution. The group includes species in the genera Pluvialis (golden plovers) and Charadrius (shore plovers and related species).

Typical plovers have compact bodies, short necks, and relatively short bills. Plumage often provides camouflage outside the breeding season, while breeding plumage can be more conspicuous. They forage mainly by pecking at invertebrates on the surface, such as insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and worms, and may probe shallow sand or mud in search of prey. They are usually ground-foragers that rely on quick bursts of running and sudden pauses to detect prey.

Breeding involves ground nests or simple scrapes on open ground, with camouflaged eggs and precocial chicks. In many species both parents participate in incubation and parental care, and young may be mobile soon after hatching.

Many temperate plovers are migratory, breeding in higher latitudes and wintering in warmer regions, though some populations are resident. Conservation concerns arise from habitat loss, disturbance of breeding beaches, and climate-related changes in wetland availability; several species are of conservation concern in parts of their ranges.

Representative species include the killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) of North America, snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus), semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus), ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula), black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola), and golden plovers (Pluvialis apricaria and Pluvialis fulva).