Plover


Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae.

Description

There are about 66 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.
Plovers are found throughout the world, with the exception of the Sahara and the polar regions, and are characterised by relatively short bills. They hunt by sight, rather than by feel as longer-billed waders like snipes do. They feed mainly on insects, worms or other invertebrates, depending on the habitat, which are obtained by a run-and-pause technique, rather than the steady probing of some other wader groups.
Plovers engage in false brooding, a type of distraction display. Examples include: pretending to change position or to sit on an imaginary nest site.
A group of plovers may be referred to as a stand, wing, or congregation. A group of dotterels may be referred to as a trip.

Species list in taxonomic order

The International Ornithological Congress recognizes these 45 species of plovers and dotterels. They are distributed among 10 genera, some of which have only one species. One species on the list, the Javan lapwing, is extinct.
This list is presented according to the IOC taxonomic sequence and can also be sorted alphabetically by common name and binomial.
Common nameBinomial nameIOC sequence
Red-kneed dotterelErythrogonys cinctus1
Inland dotterelPeltohyas australis2
WrybillAnarhynchus frontalis3
European golden ploverPluvialis apricaria4
Pacific golden ploverPluvialis fulva5
American golden ploverPluvialis dominica6
Grey ploverPluvialis squatarola7
New Zealand ploverCharadrius obscurus8
Common ringed ploverCharadrius hiaticula9
Semipalmated ploverCharadrius semipalmatus10
Long-billed ploverCharadrius placidus11
Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius12
Wilson's ploverCharadrius wilsonia13
KilldeerCharadrius vociferus14
Piping ploverCharadrius melodus15
Madagascan ploverCharadrius thoracicus16
Kittlitz's ploverCharadrius pecuarius17
St. Helena ploverCharadrius sanctaehelenae18
Three-banded ploverCharadrius tricollaris19
Forbes's ploverCharadrius forbesi20
White-fronted ploverCharadrius marginatus21
Kentish ploverCharadrius alexandrinus22
White-faced ploverCharadrius dealbatus23
Snowy ploverCharadrius nivosus24
Javan ploverCharadrius javanicus25
Red-capped ploverCharadrius ruficapillus26
Malaysian ploverCharadrius peronii27
Chestnut-banded ploverCharadrius pallidus28
Collared ploverCharadrius collaris29
Puna ploverCharadrius alticola30
Two-banded ploverCharadrius falklandicus31
Double-banded ploverCharadrius bicinctus32
Lesser sand ploverCharadrius mongolus33
Greater sand ploverCharadrius leschenaultii34
Caspian ploverCharadrius asiaticus35
Oriental ploverCharadrius veredus36
Eurasian dotterelCharadrius morinellus37
Rufous-chested ploverCharadrius modestus38
Mountain ploverCharadrius montanus39
Hooded dotterelThinornis cucullatus40
Shore dotterelThinornis novaeseelandiae41
Black-fronted dotterelElseyornis melanops42
Tawny-throated dotterelOreopholus ruficollis43
Diademed sandpiper-ploverPhegornis mitchellii44
Pied ploverHoploxypterus cayanus45

In folklore

The European golden plover spends summers in Iceland, and in Icelandic folklore, the appearance of the first plover in the country means that spring has arrived. The Icelandic media always covers the first plover sighting, which in 2017 took place on March 27, 2017.