Kentish Plover

A small, pale wader of sandy beaches and salt lagoons. It has a thin black bill and long dark legs. Its sandy-grey upperparts provide perfect camouflage on the shoreline. It migrates to African and Mediterranean coasts for the winter. It needs undisturbed beaches to nest. Human coastal development is a major threat to this species.

It hunts with a 'run-and-stop' technique to snatch small insects from the sand. It is a ground-nester and lays eggs in simple scrapes decorated with pebbles or shells. If a predator approaches, adults perform a 'broken-wing' display. This trick leads the intruder away from the hidden eggs.