Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Known as the 'Grey Plover' outside North America, it is the most wary of all shorebirds, often acting as a sentinel that warns other species of approaching danger.
- Scientific name
- Pluvialis squatarola
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Charadriidae › Pluvialis
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Breeds on dry Arctic tundra; winters on coastal mudflats, estuaries, and sandy beaches.
- Diet
- Invertebrates including polychaete worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and insects.
- Range
- Arctic Tundra, North American Coasts, South American Coasts, European Coasts, African Coasts, Australian Coasts
- Size
- 27-31 cm long with a 71-83 cm wingspan
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Climate change affecting Arctic nesting grounds, coastal development, and human disturbance on wintering beaches.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. Observe from a distance of at least 50 meters, especially on beaches. If the bird stops feeding and stands alert, you are too close. Avoid flushing them, as they need to conserve energy for long-distance migration.
The grey plover ( Pluvialis squatarola ), known as the black-bellied plover in North America, is a medium-sized plover breeding in Arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding. The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia , "rain". It was believed that golden plovers flocked when rain was imminent. The species name squatarola is a Latinised version of Sgatarola , a Venetian name for some kind of...
Photo: Tony Rebelo, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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