Key information
The ringed plover is a small, dumpy, short-legged wading bird. It is brownish grey above and whitish below. It has a orange bill, tipped with black, orange legs and a black-and-white pattern on its head and breast. In flight, it shows a broad, white wing-stripe.
They breed on beaches around the coast, but they have also now begun breeding inland in sand and gravel pits and former industrial sites. Many UK birds live here all year round, but birds from Europe winter in Britain, and birds from Greenland and Canada pass through on migration.
What they eat:
Flies, spiders, marine worms, crustaceans, molluscs.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 18-20cm
- Wingspan:
- 48-57cm
- Weight:
- 55-75g
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 5,400 pairs
- UK wintering:
- 34,000 birds
Identifying features:
This bird species has different identifying features depending on sex/age/season.
Ringed plover (summer plumage)
Ringed plover (juvenile)
