Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Charadriidae
Genus: Pluvialis

Audio for Species

Call
Call
Call

from Macaulay Library

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Additional Black-bellied Plover Pictures

Description

Length: 11-11.4 in (28-29 cm) Weight: 5.6-9.8 oz (160-277 g) Wingspan: 23.2-23.6 in (59-60 cm)

They have a short, thick, dark bill, black legs and white rump. Adult alternate: Black face, throat, and breast. White border to black face and throat; pale gray crown and nape. Black and white spotted back and wings, with white belly and undertail coverts. Adult basic: Medium gray upperparts with paler edging; pale gray breast and white underparts. White supercilium and black axillars visible in flight.

Habitat, Range, and Feeding

Nests in Arctic lowlands on dry tundra. Winters on coastal beaches and estuaries. Prefers high and dry to low and wet tundra areas. May use flooded pasture and agricultural land.

The male scrapes the ground with bill and feet for a shallow bowl, the female deepens and lines with lichens, pebbles, twigs, or leaves. The clutch size is 1 to 5 eggs, that are pinkish, greenish, or brownish, with dark splotches heavier on the large end. The incubation period is 23 to 27 days. The fledging is in about 23 days.

They eat primarily aquatic invertebrates.