With its striking black and white plumage adorned by vibrant orange-yellow features, it is a distinctive shorebird found across a diverse range of habitats. Characterized by its black lobes, ear coverts, forehead base, and frontal bar, this plover sports a contrasting bright white brow and a conspicuous white supercilium that extends above and behind its dark brown eyes.
The bill of the Common Ringed Plover is a striking orange-yellow, tipped with black during the breeding season, adding to its eye-catching appearance. Outside of the breeding season, the bill may appear duller in color. Encircling its dark eyes is a thin, yet distinct, eyering of dull yellowish-orange. Remarkably, the legs and feet of this avian marvel are a brilliant shade of orange-yellow, contributing to its overall vibrant aesthetic. Notably, the feet lack a basal web between the middle and outer toes, a characteristic feature of the species.
Breeding primarily on shingle or sandy coastal beaches, sandbars, mudflats, and estuaries, the Common Ringed Plover demonstrates remarkable adaptability by also nesting inland along rivers and lakes. In these inland habitats, it can be found in open tundra with sparse vegetation, as well as adjacent meadows and farmland. During the breeding season, rocky beaches, estuary mudflats, saltpans, and marshes serve as favored foraging grounds for this agile shorebird.
Outside of the breeding season, the Common Ringed Plover exhibits a preference for a variety of coastal habitats, including rocky shores, estuary mudflats, saltpans, and marshes. These diverse habitats provide ample opportunities for foraging and roosting as the plover navigates its annual migratory cycle.
Distribution
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Benin
Bosnia And Herz.
Botswana
British Indian T.
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Central Af. Rep.
Chad
China
Comoros
Congo-Brazzaville
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Denmark
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Faroe Islands
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Guam
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Micronesia
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Niger
Nigeria
Nort. Mariana Is.
North Korea
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Réunion
Saint Helena
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Svalbard
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
UAE
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Yemen
Zambia
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
