The Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), known as the Black-bellied Plover in North America,

Taxonomy:

Class: Aves

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Charadriidae

Genus: Pluvialis

Species: P. squatarola

Binomial name Pluvialis squatarola (Linnaeus, 1758)

Subspecies: Pluvialis squatarola squatarola

Pluvialis squatarola cynosurae

Pluvialis squatarola tomkovichi

Distribution:

The Grey Plover breeds around the Arctic regions and migrates to the southern hemisphere, being a regular summer migrant to Australia, mostly to the west and south coasts. It is generally sparse but not uncommon in some areas. It is occasionally found inland. They breeding in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly world-wide coastal distribution when not breeding. They migrate to winter in coastal areas nearly throughout the world. In the New World they winter from southwest British Columbia and Massachusetts south to Argentina and Chile, in the western Old World from Britain and southwestern Norway south throughout coastal Africa to South Africa, and in the eastern Old World, from southern Japan south throughout coastal southern Asia and Australia, with a few reaching New Zealand. It makes regular non-stop transcontinental flights over Asia, Europe, and North America, but is mostly a rare vagrant on the ground in the interior of continents, only landing occasionally if forced down by severe weather, or to feed on the coast-like shores of very large lakes such as the Great Lakes, where it is a common passage migrant.

Physical Characteristics:

They are 27–30 cm long with a wingspan of 71–83 cm, and a weight of 190–280 g (up to 345 g in preparation for migration). In spring and summer (late April or May to August), the adults are spotted black and white on the back and wings. The face and neck are black with a white border; they have a black breast and a white rump. The tail is white with black barring. The bill and legs are black. They moult to winter plumage in mid August to early September and retain this until April; this being a fairly plain grey above, with a grey-speckled breast and white belly. The juvenile and first-winter plumages, held by young birds from fledging until about one year old, are similar to the adult winter plumage but with the back feathers blacker with creamy white edging. In all plumages, the inner flanks and axillary feathers at the base of the underwing are black, a feature which readily distinguishes it from the other three Pluvialis species in flight. On the ground, it can also be told from the other Pluvialis species by its larger (24–34 mm), heavier bill. In summer it has silver and black spotted upperparts, a black face, neck and belly and in winter, it loses the black feathers and takes on a browny-grey look. In both plumages, the rump is white and in flight in winter it shows distinctive black 'armpits'. Like most plovers it stands very upright and tends to run and then suddenly stop to feed. It is generally seen in small numbers, although flocks can form when there is a high tide.

The Grey Plover may be confused with the Pacific Golden Plover, Pluvialis fulva, but is larger with a heavier bill. In flight, the Grey Plover has black wing-pits. It also has a bold white wing-bar and white rump.

Habitat:

The Grey Plover is almost entirely coastal, being found mainly on marine shores, inlets, estuaries and lagoons with large tidal mudflats or sandflats for feeding, sandy beaches for roosting, and also on rocky coasts. Found only along coasts, preferring large muddy and sandy estuaries.

Diet:

Grey Plovers are mainly diurnal (day-active), feeding on molluscs, insects, crustaceans, polychaete worms, and occasionally vegetation and seeds. They feed with stop-start running, pecking and probing in mud, using their large eyes to locate prey. They forage for food on beaches and tidal flats, usually by sight.

Behavior:

Young birds do not breed until two years old; they typically remain on the wintering grounds until their second summer. It is less gregarious than the other Pluvialis species, not forming dense feeding flocks, instead feeding widely dispersed over beaches, with birds well spaced apart. They will however form dense flocks on high tide roosts

Breeding:

Their breeding habitat is Arctic islands and coastal areas across the northern coasts of Alaska, Canada, and Russia. They nest on the ground in a dry open tundra with good visibility; the nest is a shallow gravel scrape. Four eggs (sometimes only three) are laid in early June, with an incubation period of 26–27 days; the chicks fledge when 35–45 days old. Grey Plovers breed in the Northern Hemisphere from late May to August. Eggs are laid in a shallow scrape, lined with stones and vegetation. Both parents share all incubation and feeding duties. The parents' black and white breeding plumage is good camouflage on the tundra, which is dark and boggy and may still have snow cover. They feed mainly on insects when breeding.