Little Ringed Plover

Charadrius dubius

Genus · Holarctic Ringed Plovers and Allies Family · Plovers and Lapwings
Observation tips Difficulty: MODERATE
Best time
🕒 Any
Activity
☀️ Diurnal
Best months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Observation habitat
Muddy marginsOpen groundSand bars

Look for the bright yellow eye-ring. Check inland gravel pits and the muddy edges of reservoirs.

Little Ringed Plover
Stats
Wingspan42–48 cm
Weight25–48 g
Length14–17 cm
Lifespan wild2–10 yrs
Size
XS
S
M
L
XL
Nesting
Nest typeScrape
Clutch size3–4 eggs
Incubation22–28 days
Breeding months
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Regional Status (Europe)
LC
Least Concern (Europe)
IUCN Red List
MigrationMigratory
Social BehaviourSolitary

Diet: Carnivore

🦗Insects
🐚Mollusks
🕷️Spiders
🪱Worms

Habitat

🌊 Marine🏞️ River🏜️ Scrub wasteland🏙️ Urban
✦ Fun Fact

Newly hatched Little Ringed Plovers can run and feed themselves within hours of leaving the egg, even though they still depend on their parents for protection.

About

A small plover of freshwater habitats. While its relatives prefer the coast, this bird lives in gravel pits and industrial wasteland. It is a summer visitor to Europe from Africa. It has a brown back and white underparts. It is easily recognized by a sharp black-and-white head pattern and a prominent yellow eye-ring.

Behaviour

These plovers are famous for their 'broken wing' display. They feign injury to lure predators away from their ground nests. They run in short bursts and stop suddenly to snatch insects. Their call is a high-pitched 'piu'. Unlike the Ringed Plover, they lack a white wing-bar in flight.

Similar species

Common Ringed Plover
🐦
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
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