Little ringed plover

The little ringed plover first nested in the UK in 1938, but has since moved in happily! It has taken advantage of an increase in man-made flooded gravel pits, reservoirs and quarries that provide perfect habitats.

Scientific name

Charadrius dubius

When to see

March to July

Species information

Statistics

Length: 14-16cm
Wingspan: 45cm
Weight: 40g
Average lifespan: 4 years

Conservation status

Classified in the UK as Green under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021). Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Habitats

About

A small, rotund wading bird, the Little ringed plover nests on bare gravel around flooded gravel pits, sandy riverbanks and reservoirs. Like other plovers, it forages for invertebrates and crustaceans in a particular way: standing and watching, running forward, pecking, then standing still again. It is a migrant species, arriving in this country in mid-March and leaving again in July.

How to identify

Daintier than the ringed plover, the Little ringed plover has a black bill, pale, creamy-brown legs, and a bright yellow ring around the eye. It is sandy-brown above and white below, with a black chest-band and black bridle markings on the head.

Distribution

A summer visitor to England and Wales.

Did you know?

Little ringed plovers first nested in the UK in 1938 and have successfully spread through England and Wales. This colonisation has been attributed to an increase in their preferred gravelly habitats - man-made flooded gravel pits, reservoirs and quarries have provided them with just the right breeding grounds.