Species group · Birds

Ringed Plovers

WAnimals has 3 species of ringed plover, all in the family Charadriidae.

3 species
1 family
114 countries
239 parks
Weight
32 g – 64 g
Length
15 cm – 20 cm
Lifespan
3 – 10 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 3.

All 3 species of ringed plovers on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

3 Least Concern

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 114 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • It breeds on the sand of busy tourist beaches, which threatens the species in Spain.

    From Kentish Plover

  • It nests straight onto sandy beaches, hiding its eggs among pebbles and shells, which leaves it very vulnerable to people on a busy coast.

    From Kentish Plover

  • Its nest is a scrape in the sand decorated with small shells and pebbles, and the eggs are so well camouflaged that the main cause of loss on tourist beaches is accidental treading, not predation.

    From Kentish Plover

  • It feigns a broken wing to draw predators away from the nest.

    From Little Ringed Plover

  • Faced with an intruder, the adults feign a broken wing: they hop on one leg, lie down on the ground with one wing outstretched and beat their wings against the ground to draw it away from the nest.

    From Little Ringed Plover

  • Its specific epithet, dubius, means doubtful: it was given because of the controversy its classification generated.

    From Little Ringed Plover

  • It arranges its eggs with the narrow end pointing to the centre of the nest.

    From Common Ringed Plover

  • It waits until the last egg is laid before incubating, so they all hatch together.

    From Common Ringed Plover

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one