The RSPB: Little ringed plover

Conservation status: Green

A small plover with a distinctive black and white head pattern, similar to ringed plover. It has a black beak and pale (not orange) legs. Close views reveal a distinctive yellow eye-ring. In flight it shows a plain brown wing without the white wingbar that ringed plover has. It first bred in the UK in 1938 and since then has successfully colonised a large part of England and Wales thanks to man-made habitats such as gravel pits.

Overview

Latin name

Charadrius dubius

Family

Plovers and lapwings (Charadriidae)

Where to see them

Virtually confined to England and Wales, uncommon in the latter and very occasionally in Scotland. Gravel pits, reservoirs, sewage works and shingle river banks are all worth checking for this wading bird.

When to see them

Arrives in the UK in March and leaves again in late June and July.

What they eat

Insects

Population

Europe	UK breeding*	UK wintering*	UK passage*
-	825-1,070 pairs	-	-

* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.