Plovers
Hooded dotterel (Thinornis cucullatus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Charadriidae
Subfamily: Charadriinae
Leach, 1820
Genera

Charadrius
Pluvialis
Thinornis
Elseyornis
Peltohyas
Anarhynchus
Phegornis
Oreopholus

Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius
Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus
Lesser sand plover, Charadrius mongolus
Snowy plover, on the beach at Vandenberg, CA

Plovers (/ˈplʌvər/ PLUV-ər,[1] also US: /ˈploʊvər/ PLOH-vər)[2] are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae.

Description

There are about 66 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel".[3] The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises about 20 species.[4]

Plovers are found throughout the world, with the exception of the Sahara and the polar regions, and are characterised by relatively short bills. They hunt by sight, rather than by feel as longer-billed waders like snipes do. They feed mainly on insects, worms or other invertebrates, depending on the habitat, which are obtained by a run-and-pause technique, rather than the steady probing of some other wader groups.[5] Plovers engage in false brooding, a type of distraction display. Examples include pretending to change position or to sit on an imaginary nest site.

Species list in taxonomic sequence

The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) recognizes these 45 species of plovers and dotterels. They are distributed among 10 genera, some of which have only one species.[6]

This list is presented according to the IOC taxonomic sequence and can also be sorted alphabetically by common name and binomial.

Common nameBinomial name + authorityIOC sequence
Red-kneed dotterelErythrogonys cinctus Gould, 18381
Inland dotterelPeltohyas australis (Gould, 1841)2
WrybillAnarhynchus frontalis Quoy & Gaimard, 18323
European golden ploverPluvialis apricaria (Linnaeus, 1758)4
Pacific golden ploverPluvialis fulva (Gmelin, JF, 1789)5
American golden ploverPluvialis dominica (Müller, PLS, 1776)6
Grey ploverPluvialis squatarola (Linnaeus, 1758)7
New Zealand ploverCharadrius obscurus Gmelin, JF, 17898
Common ringed ploverCharadrius hiaticula Linnaeus, 17589
Semipalmated ploverCharadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte, 182510
Long-billed ploverCharadrius placidus Gray, JE & Gray, GR, 186311
Little ringed ploverCharadrius dubius Scopoli, 178612
Wilson's ploverCharadrius wilsonia Ord, 181413
KilldeerCharadrius vociferus Linnaeus, 175814
Piping ploverCharadrius melodus Ord, 182415
Madagascar ploverCharadrius thoracicus (Richmond, 1896)16
Kittlitz's ploverCharadrius pecuarius Temminck, 182317
St. Helena ploverCharadrius sanctaehelenae (Harting, 1873)18
Three-banded ploverCharadrius tricollaris Vieillot, 181819
Forbes's ploverCharadrius forbesi (Shelley, 1883)20
White-fronted ploverCharadrius marginatus Vieillot, 181821
Kentish ploverCharadrius alexandrinus Linnaeus, 175822
White-faced ploverCharadrius dealbatus (Swinhoe, 1870)23
Snowy ploverCharadrius nivosus (Cassin, 1858)24
Javan ploverCharadrius javanicus Chasen, 193825
Red-capped ploverCharadrius ruficapillus Temminck, 182126
Malaysian ploverCharadrius peronii Schlegel, 186527
Chestnut-banded ploverCharadrius pallidus Strickland, 185328
Collared ploverCharadrius collaris Vieillot, 181829
Puna ploverCharadrius alticola (Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1902)30
Two-banded ploverCharadrius falklandicus Latham, 179031
Double-banded ploverCharadrius bicinctus Jardine & Selby, 182732
Lesser sand ploverCharadrius mongolus Pallas, 177633
Greater sand ploverCharadrius leschenaultii Lesson, RP, 182634
Caspian ploverCharadrius asiaticus Pallas, 177335
Oriental ploverCharadrius veredus Gould, 184836
Eurasian dotterelCharadrius morinellus Linnaeus, 175837
Rufous-chested ploverCharadrius modestus Lichtenstein, MHC, 182338
Mountain ploverCharadrius montanus Townsend, JK, 183739
Hooded dotterelThinornis cucullatus (Vieillot, 1818)40
Shore dotterelThinornis novaeseelandiae (Gmelin, JF, 1789)41
Black-fronted dotterelElseyornis melanops (Vieillot, 1818)42
Tawny-throated dotterelOreopholus ruficollis (Wagler, 1829)43
Diademed sandpiper-ploverPhegornis mitchellii (Fraser, 1845)44
Pied ploverHoploxypterus cayanus (Latham, 1790)45

In folklore

The European golden plover[7] spends summers in Iceland, and in Icelandic folklore, the appearance of the first plover in the country means that spring has arrived. The Icelandic media always covers the first plover sighting.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "plover". Lexico.
  2. ↑ "Definition of plover | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  3. ↑ Coomber, Richard (1991). "Charadriiformes: Plovers". Birds of the World. Godalming, Surrey: Colour Library Books. pp. 97–100. ISBN 978-0862838065.
  4. ↑ Sangster, G.; Knox, A. G.; Helbig, A. J.; Parkin, D. T. (2002). "Taxonomic recommendations for European birds". Ibis. 144 (1): 153–159. doi:10.1046/j.0019-1019.2001.00026.x.
  5. ↑ Perrins, Christopher (2003). The New Encyclopedia of Birds. Oxford U. P. ISBN 978-0-19-852506-6.
  6. ↑ Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P. (January 2023). "Buttonquail, thick-knees, sheathbills, plovers, oystercatchers, stilts, painted-snipes, jacanas, Plains-wanderer, seedsnipes". IOC World Bird List. v 13.1). Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  7. ↑ "The Golden Plover has arrived, indicating spring in Iceland". IceNews - Daily News. March 27, 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "Spring has arrived in Iceland, according to folklore". mbl.is. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
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