Pl. CX
The Birds · Plate CX
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Charadriidae · Taxon 4892
| Length | 25–30 cm (10–12 in) |
| Wingspan | 60–71 cm (24–28 in) |
| Weight | 180–310 g (6.3–10.9 oz) |
Field marks
- Chunky, large-headed profile with a short neck
- Short, thick black bill and large dark eye
- Breeding plumage has a black face and belly bordered by white
- Upperparts are strongly checkered or mottled black, white, gray, and brown
- Moderately long, dark gray legs
- Long, pointed wings; short, mostly whitish tail and diagnostic black axillaries visible in flight
HabitatBreeds on open wet or dry Arctic tundra. During migration it uses coastlines, muddy lake and river margins, wet fields, and short grasslands; nonbreeding habitat includes mudflats, tidal flats, beaches, estuaries, lagoons, and salt marshes.
BehaviorA ground-foraging plover that runs rapidly, pauses to watch and listen, then pecks or pulls invertebrates from sand or mud. Migrants and nonbreeding birds often forage and roost in flocks; breeding birds are territorial and perform slow, exaggerated display flights.
Palette
blackwhitesilver-graybrown-gray