One of the 3 ringed plovers on WAnimals
Birds · Charadriiformes · Charadriidae
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
It almost always lays its eggs with the narrow end pointing to the centre of the nest. Incubation begins only once the last egg is laid, so that all of them hatch together.
Weight
64 g on average
Size
18 cm – 20 cm
Lifespan
5 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- It arranges its eggs with the narrow end pointing to the centre of the nest.
- It waits until the last egg is laid before incubating, so they all hatch together.
- Its cryptic grey down hides it among the sand and shingle.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Sand and shingle beaches, Arctic tundra and coasts of Europe, Greenland and northern Canada
- Birth weight
- 10.9 grams
- Size at birth
- Precocial, with cryptic grey-buff down that hides it on sand or shingle
- Sexual maturity
- 1 year
- Gestation / incubation
- ~24 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 3 to 5 eggs per clutch (most commonly 4)
Sources consulted: AnAge; World Species; Birdfact; ResearchGate; Wikipedia; The Birds; Birds of the World
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: From August to May on Iberian beaches, marshes and estuaries, when birds from northern Europe pass through and winter.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 47 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Common Ringed Plover — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Dotterel
Charadrius morinellus
Least ConcernEuropean Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricaria
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubius
Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
Near ThreatenedNorthern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellus
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about common ringed plover.
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