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  • Ringed plover

Ringed plover

Ringed plover (summer plumage)
Ringed plover (summer plumage)
Ringed plover (winter plumage)
Ringed plover (winter plumage)
Ringed plover (juvenile)
Ringed plover (juvenile)
Ringed ploved (in flight)
Ringed ploved (in flight)
  • Scientific name: Charadrius hiaticula
  • Bird family: Plovers
  • UK conservation status: Red
  • Protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Ringed plover call audio

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Marco Dragonetti, xeno-canto

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 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.
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, summer plumage
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff White
Leg colour: Orange
Beak: Black Orange Medium length Medium thickness
Natural habitats: Grassland Marine and intertidal Wetland

Ringed plover (juvenile)

Juvenile ringed plover
Feather colour: Brown Cream/buff White
Leg colour: Orange Pink
Beak: Black Brown Medium length Medium thickness
Natural habitats: Grassland Marine and intertidal Wetland

Similar birds:

Little ringed plover adult, summer plumage
Little ringed plover

Where and when to see them

You can see ringed plovers on suitable beaches and coasts around the UK - look for them at RSPB coastal reserves. Inland, look for them at flooded gravel pits.

* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Summer
  • Winter
Ringed plover distribution map

Ringed plovers can be seen all year round.

  • jan
  • feb
  • mar
  • apr
  • may
  • jun
  • jul
  • aug
  • sep
  • oct
  • nov
  • dec

RSPB reserves

  • RSPB Adur Estuary

Video

A ringed plover finds a meal on the beach

A ringed plover finds a meal on the beach

Ringed plover video screenshot

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