SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER

 1315*                   SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER                  Charadrius semipalmatus

USA            35

The semipalmated plover is a small plover. Their breeding habitat is open ground on beaches or flats across northern Canada and Alaska. They nest on the ground in an open area with little or no plant growth.

They are migratory and winter in coastal areas of the southern United States, the Caribbean and much of South America. They are extremely rare vagrants to western Europe, and have been found in Tierra del Fuego and the Isles of Scilly.

Semipalmated plovers forage for food on beaches, tidal flats and fields, usually by sight. They eat insects (such as the larvae of long-legged and beach flies, larvae of soldier flies and shore flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers and Ochtebius beetles), spiders, crustaceans (such as isopods, decapods and copepods) and worms (such as polychaetes). They also consume small molluscs including bivalves and gastropods, including snails such as coffee bean snails and Odostomia laevigata. These opportunistic feeders also feed on berries or seeds from grasslands or cultivated fields. 

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER

 

562*                   BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER               Pluvialis squatarola

USA.               34

The grey plover or black-bellied plover is a large plover breeding in Arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding. They forage for food on beaches and tidal flats, usually by sight. The food consists of small molluscs, polychaete worms, crustaceans, and insects. It is less gregarious than the other Pluvialis species, not forming dense feeding flocks, instead feeding widely dispersed over beaches, with birds well spaced apart. They will however form dense flocks on high tide roosts.

COMMON RINGED PLOVER

 

Photographed at Roebuck Bay, Broome, December 2023

1333                   COMMON RINGED PLOVER                    Charadrius hiaticula

AUSTRALIA                    809

Also known as Ringed Plover. Breeds across much of northern Eurasia, as well as Greenland. Common ringed plovers are migratory and winter in coastal areas south to Africa. In Norway, geolocators have revealed that adult breeding birds migrate to West Africa.[3] Many birds in Great Britain and northern France are resident throughout the year.Rare but regular vagrant to Australia with widespread sightings. 

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER

 

Photographed at Roebuck Bay, Broome, December 2023

1332                   AMERICAN GLODEN PLOVER                  Pluvialis dominica

AUSTRALIA                   808

The breeding habitat of American golden plover is Arctic tundra from northern Canada and Alaska. They nest on the ground in a dry open area. They are migratory and winter in southern South America. They follow an elliptical migration path. The bird has one of the longest known migratory routes of over 40,000 km (25,000 mi). Of this, 3,900 km (2,400 mi) is over open ocean where it cannot stop to feed or drink. It does this from body fat stores that it stocks up on prior to the flight. It is a regular vagrant to western Europe.

SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER

Photographed at Wellington Point, Queensland, December 2021

1315                SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER                 Charadrius semipalmatus      

AUSTRALIAN                       800

Vagrant to coastal Australia from the Americas. First recorded in 2010; one has been sighted annually in Broome for a number of years.

LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER

Photographed at Wunjunga Wetlands, Queensland, March 2020

(*900)                  LITTLE-RINGED PLOVER                 Charadrius dubius

AUSTRALIA                  792

Breeding habitat is open gravel areas near. freshwater across the Paleartic, including northwestern Africa. Migratoryand winter inn Africa. Forage for food on muddy areas; eat insects and worms. Three subspecies: C. d. curonicus from Eurasia, Russian Fareast, Japan, Korea, China to North Africa. Winter spends in Sahara, Sri Lanka, to Indonesia and China; C. d. jerdoni from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan to South East Asia; C. d. dubius  from the Philippines, New Guinea to Bismarck Archipelago.

KENTISH PLOVER

Photographed at Kurnell, Sydney, December 2019

(*899)                  KENTISH PLOVER                  Charadrius alexandrinus

AUSTRALIA                 789

A coastal migrant widespread in Eurasia, often flocking with other small shorebirds on beaches. Only 2 previous Australian records (Darwin, NT and Old Bar, NSW). Alexandrinus migrates from NE to SE Asia.

BANDED DOTTEREL

Photographed at Maketu, New Zealand, June 2017

(*  432)               BANDED DOTTEREL                 Charadrius bicinctus 

NEW ZEALAND                62

Breeds on sandy beaches, shellbacks and especially braided riverbeds; after breeding forms flocks at estuaries, lake margins and sometimes short grassland. 20 cm. Although described as endemic over much of New Zealand large number migrate to Australia, where it is known as Double-banded Plover.

SPURWING PLOVER

Photographed at Ambury, New Zealand, June 2017

(*   17)                SPURWING PLOVER              Vanellus miles

NEW ZEALAND              9

In Australia known as Masked Lapwing. An abundant native across most of New Zealand. 38 cm. Colonised NZ from Australia in the 1930s and after a slow start spread after 1960 across most of country.

GREY PLOVER

Subspecies squatarola, March 2017

(*   562)                GREY PLOVER                       Pluvialis squatarola

SRI LANKA                 175

Found on coastal lagoon shores, tidal mudflats and creeks. 27-30 cm. Uncommon winter migrant to mainly coastal areas of dry lowlands, rare on wet zone coast.

GREATER SAND PLOVER

Subspecies leschenaultii, March 2017

(*   684)              GREATER SAND PLOVER               Charadrius leschenaultii

SRI LANKA             684

Found along seashores, lagoons, mudflats. 22-25 cm. Fairly rare winter migrant to lowland coastal areas; more often in dry zone.

LESSER SAND PLOVER

Subspecies atrifrons, March 2017

(*   644)                  LESSER SAND PLOVER              Charadrius mongolus    

SRI LANKA                   96

Found along the shoreline of a variety of wetlands and wet grasslands. 19-21 cm. Common winter migrant to the lowlands, more common in a dry zone.

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

Photographed March 2017

(*  900)                 LITTLE RINGED PLOVER                     Charadrius dubius

SRI LANKA               55

Found on the shores of lagoons, rivers and tanks, mudflats, paddy fields and salt-pans. 14-17 cm. Rather uncommon breeding resident in dry lowlands (race: jerdoni); winter migrants (race: curonicus) also occur throughout the lowlands.

PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER

Photographed March 2017

(*    424)                   PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER                   Pluvialis fulva 

SRI LANKA                 51    

                  

Found in open grasslands, near water, mudflats, dry paddy fields and lagoon shores. 23-26 cm. Fairly common winter migrant to lowlands, more common in dry lowlands.