🐦

Little Ringed Plover

Charadrius dubius

Not yet photographed by the community

Smaller, yellow eye-ring; nests on gravel pits.

Species Profile

Amber List (due to small UK population and breeding range confined to specific habitat types)

Lifespan: 8–10 years in the wild
Size & Weight: 19–21 cm, wingspan 42–49 cm; 25–45 g
Habitat: Breeds on bare or sparsely vegetated ground near freshwater, including gravel pits, reservoirs, lakes, and river shingle beds.
UK Distribution: Summer breeding visitor to England, Wales, and southern Scotland (April to September); rare in winter. Populations have expanded northwards and inland since the 1960s.
Diet: Feeds on small invertebrates including insects, spiders, and crustaceans, typically picked from the ground or shallow water.
Prey: Beetles, flies, small crustaceans, and other small arthropods
Predators: Foxes, stoats, crows, gulls, and birds of prey such as Eurasian Kestrels
Mating Season: April to July
Breeding: Clutch of 4 eggs; incubation period 24–26 days; fledging at 25–27 days. Usually two broods per season, sometimes three.
Behaviour: Highly territorial and defensive of nest sites; performs distraction displays including the 'broken wing' routine when threatened. Males are vocal during breeding season with a distinctive 'pee-oo' call.

Did You Know?

•Little Ringed Plovers lack the white wing bar visible in the closely related Common Ringed Plover, distinguishing them in flight
•They have a distinctive yellow orbital ring around the eye, particularly prominent in breeding plumage
•The species has colonised newly created gravel workings and industrial sites across the UK, benefiting from habitat management for breeding
•They are summer visitors, wintering in Africa south of the Sahara, undertaking long-distance migrations
•Chicks are precocial and can feed themselves within hours of hatching, following parents to foraging areas

🐦

No photos yet

Be the first to photograph a Little Ringed Plover and share it with the community.