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Lapwings and Plovers

17 Bird Species

American Golden-Plover

Very similar to other golden-plovers. At rest, the wingtips of this species extend well beyond the tail, with four or five primaries visible beyond the tertials. In flight, the undersides of the wings are gray. The upperside of the wings show an indistinct white stripe. In flight, the toes usually do more...

Length: 25 cm Wingspan: 46 cm

Black-bellied Plover

This is the largest of the four Pluvialis plovers, with a large head and heavy bulbous bill. In all plumages, the white rump and black axillaries, visible in flight, are distinctive. In flight, the underside of the wings are mostly white, while the upperside is dark with a bold white wing stripe. At more...

Length: 28 cm Wingspan: 56 cm

Collared Plover

Very small plover with thin black bill and relatively long flesh-colored legs. Adult male: White forehead, throat and patch behind eye. Black lores. Black fore crown usually with rusty hind edge. Dark eye with thin white eye ring. Rusty auriculars with rusty tinge around edges of thin, dark, complete more...

Length: 14 cm Wingspan: 36 cm

Common Ringed Plover

This little plover is nearly identical to Semipalmated Plover, and great care must be taken in separating the two. The two species are best differentiated by call. In flight, shows a white wing stripe. Tail is dark with white edges. Alternate Male: Upperparts are mud brown. Underparts white. Face sho more...

Length: 17 cm Wingspan: 36 cm

Eurasian Dotterel

In all plumages, this rare visitor from Eurasia is recognized by its small bill, yellowish legs, and bold whitish supercilium that reaches the back of the head. In flight, the underside of the wings are plain gray. Alternate Adult: Upperparts are plain brownish-gray with thin buffy feather edges. The more...

Length: 21 cm Wingspan: 43 cm

European Golden-Plover

The stocky build of this species makes it look shorter-billed and shorter-legged than the other golden-plovers. The wing tips extend just beyond the end of the tail, but the short tertials expose four or five primaries, similar to American Golden-Plover. In flight, the white underside of the wings is more...

Length: 27 cm Wingspan: 56 cm

Greater Sand-Plover

Medium-sized plover with a proportionally large head and heavy bill. Relatively thin body. Relatively long legs and especially long tibia (upper half of visible leg.) Alternate Adult: Small white patch on forehead and throat with black lores; auriculars form a mask through the eye, black band connect more...

Length: 21 cm Wingspan: 56 cm

Killdeer

This medium-sized plover is easily recognized by its bold pattern and loud vocalizations. Upperparts are dull mud-brown, sometimes with a rufous cast. The tail is long, extending well beyond the wing tips. Underparts are white with two black bands across the breast. The forehead is white, bordered in more...

Length: 23 cm Wingspan: 48 cm

Lesser Sand-Plover

This rare visitor from Asia is very distinctive in alternate plumage, but birds in basic plumage might go unnoticed among similar Semipalmated Plovers. In all plumages, note the leg color (blackish gray to gray-green) and the lack of a white collar. The bill is noticeably smaller than that of the sim more...

Length: 18 cm Wingspan: 38 cm

Little Ringed Plover

Small plover with distinctive head pattern. Alternate Adult: Dark eye with distinctive complete golden eye ring. Small dark bill with limited pale orange base to lower mandible. Highly patterned head with an earth-brown crown, white throat and forehead, contrasting black lores, extensive black auricu more...

Length: 15 cm Wingspan: 45 cm

Mountain Plover

A medium-sized plover, with long legs and a slender long-winged profile. Alternate Adult has sandy-brown wings and back, black flight feathers, black-tipped tail, gray legs, white underparts, yellow wash on head and neck, white throat, forehead, and supercilium, black forecrown and lores, and a short more...

Length: 23 cm Wingspan: 58 cm

Northern Lapwing

A large, distinctive, crested plover with broad, rounded wings and an unmistakable, undulating flight style; casual to northern Atlantic Coast. Head mainly white, with a black crown and wispy black crest (longer in males), an irregular black mark around eye and cheek, and black chin and throat. Basic more...

Length: 32 cm Wingspan: 84 cm

Pacific Golden-Plover

A mid-sized plover of the Pacific Coast. Alternate Adult has black underparts, broad white supercilium that wraps behind the auriculars onto the neck and then extends down the flanks to the mostly white undertail. The middle and lower flanks, vent and sides of the undertail are barred with black. Fea more...

Length: 26 cm Wingspan: 61 cm

Piping Plover

A small, stocky plover with pale orange legs and a stubby, orange bill with black tip. Upperparts, crown and face are very pale sandy brown. Eyebrow, throat, collar, and underparts are clean white. White forehead with black upper border. Thin, dark breast band wraps around neck. Basic Adults and juve more...

Length: 18 cm Wingspan: 38 cm

Semipalmated Plover

Alternate Adult male has single dark breastband that is wider laterally, white throat, and collar. Head pattern is distinctive; white on forehead, black arching from the front of the eye across the forecrown, partial white supercilium above and behind the eye, broad black mask through the eye that co more...

Length: 18 cm Wingspan: 48 cm

Snowy Plover

This light-colored little plover is found on both sandy beaches and on inland alkali flats and salt pans. In all plumages, the bill is thin and black, and the legs are dark gray. Alternate Adult: Upperparts are pale gray-brown, the color of dry sand. Small black patches occur on the forecrown, auricu more...

Length: 15 cm Wingspan: 33 cm

Non-vegetated Areas

1 species

American Golden-Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Sandy Areas or Dunes, Estuaries and Bays, Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Lakes Resevoirs, Open Country and Grasslands, Alpine Tundra and Meadows

Salt Water

15 species

American Golden-Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Sandy Areas or Dunes, Estuaries and Bays, Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Lakes Resevoirs, Open Country and Grasslands, Alpine Tundra and Meadows

Black-bellied Plover

Pluvialis squatarola

Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Fresh Water Marshes, Lakes Resevoirs, Open Country and Grasslands

Collared Plover

Charadrius collaris

Beaches, Ponds and Rivers

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Fresh Water Marshes, Lakes Resevoirs

Eurasian Dotterel

Charadrius morinellus

Beaches, Open Country and Grasslands, Alpine Tundra and Meadows

European Golden-Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Fresh Water Marshes, Open Country and Grasslands

Greater Sand-Plover

Charadrius leschenaultii

Estuaries and Bays, Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Open Country and Grasslands, Deserts and Sagebrush Plains

Lesser Sand-Plover

Charadrius mongolus

Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows

Little Ringed Plover

Charadrius dubius

Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Lakes Resevoirs, Ponds and Rivers

Mountain Plover

Charadrius montanus

Coastal Dunes, Open Country and Grasslands, Deserts and Sagebrush Plains

Pacific Golden-Plover

Pluvialis fulva

Estuaries and Bays, Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Open Country and Grasslands

Piping Plover

Charadrius melodus

Beaches, Coastal Dunes, Fresh Water Marshes, Ponds and Rivers

Semipalmated Plover

Charadrius semipalmatus

Beaches, Coastal Dunes, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Fresh Water Marshes, Lakes Resevoirs, Ponds and Rivers

Snowy Plover

Charadrius nivosus

Beaches, Coastal Dunes, Fresh Water Marshes

Wilson's Plover

Charadrius wilsonia

Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows

Human-altered Areas

1 species

Killdeer

Charadrius vociferus

Suburban/residential Landscapes, Sewage Treatment Plants, Fresh Water Marshes, Lakes Resevoirs, Ponds and Rivers, Open Country and Grasslands, Deserts and Sagebrush Plains

Fresh Water

11 species

American Golden-Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Sandy Areas or Dunes, Estuaries and Bays, Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Lakes Resevoirs, Open Country and Grasslands, Alpine Tundra and Meadows

Black-bellied Plover

Pluvialis squatarola

Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Fresh Water Marshes, Lakes Resevoirs, Open Country and Grasslands

Collared Plover

Charadrius collaris

Beaches, Ponds and Rivers

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Beaches, Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Fresh Water Marshes, Lakes Resevoirs

European Golden-Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Tidal Mudflats and Shallows, Fresh Water Marshes, Open Country and Grasslands

Killdeer

Charadrius vociferus

Suburban/residential Landscapes, Sewage Treatment Plants, Fresh Water Marshes, Lakes Resevoirs, Ponds and Rivers, Open Country and Grasslands, Deserts and Sagebrush Plains