Pluvialis squatarola

Grey plovers run incredible amounts back and forth. They search for food by running short distances, pausing constantly as they track down small prey. They then continue their short sprint to pick up what they found. Although you can see grey plovers the entire year in the Netherlands, they don't nest here. They breed on the tundra, north of the timber-line. Should the tundra decrease in size due to climate change, the grey plover is one of the bird species to be affected. The bird could even become extinct. The best chance to see the grey plover in the Netherlands is on the tidal flats during bird migration in August till October and from March through May.

A large (10 ½ -13 ½ inches) wader, the male Black-bellied Plover is most easily identified by its mottled gray back and crown, black underparts, and broad white stripe separating the two regions. The female Black-bellied Plover in summer is similar to the male, but is slightly paler, especially on the face. In winter, both sexes are paler overall, becoming mottled gray above and pale below. The Black-bellied Plover occurs across much of the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, this species breeds in northern Alaska and northwestern Canada, wintering along the coasts from British Columbia and Massachusetts south to southern South America. In the Old World, the Black-bellied Plover breeds along the arctic coast of Russia, wintering south to Western and Southern Europe, South and Southeast Asia, and Australasia. Black-bellied Plovers breed on dry, sparsely-vegetated tundra habitats. In winter and on migration, this species utilizes a variety of coastal habitats, including sandy beaches, estuaries, and mudflats. Black-bellied Plovers primarily eat small invertebrates, including insects, earthworms, mollusks, and crustaceans. Due to its remote breeding range, many birdwatchers are only familiar with this species during the winter months. In suitable habitat, individuals may be seen foraging for food by probing the mud with their bills. This species is known to be territorial on its summer and winter ranges, but gathers in small flocks during migration. Black-bellied Plovers are primarily active during the day.

Threat Status: Least concern

Holarctic; almost cosmopolitan post-breeding dispersal.

Belgium, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gulf of Maine, Gulf of Mexico, IJzer Estuary, Irish Exclusive economic Zone, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone, North West Atlantic, Polish Exclusive Economic Zone, Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone, Red Sea, Somalia, South Africa (country), Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone, Tanzania, United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone, Wimereux

North America

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Breeding

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) BREEDING: northern and western Alaska, northern Canada (north to Melville, Bathurst, and Devon islands, east to Southhampton and western Baffin islands, west to arctic shore); northern Eurasia (AOU 1983). NON-BREEDING: southwestern British Columbia south along Pacific coast to Chile; Atlantic coast from New Jersey south to northern Argentina; important wintering areas in South America are Suriname and north-central coast of Brazil between Belem and Sao Luis (see Johnson and Herter 1989, Morrison and Ross 1989; see latter for details on other South American sites); West Indies; British Isles, Mediterranean region, southern China, and Hawaii (uncommon, irregular) south to southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand (AOU 1983). Nonbreeders frequently summer in winter range (AOU 1983).

Length: 29 cm

Weight: 220 grams

Length: 28-31 cm. Plumage: brownish grey mottled white or buff above, rump white; below white mottled grey or buff; chest dusky buff; dark ear coverts; diffuse dark eyeline; pale superciliary stripe; black axilaries diagnostic in all plumages. Breeding adult with face and underparts to belly black, broadly bordered all around from forehead down sides of neck and flanks white; crissum white. Immature like non-breeding adult, but browner above mottled with pale gold. Bare parts: iris dark brown; bill black; feet and legs grey. Habitat: coastal flats, estuaries, sandy beaches, rocky shores, sometimes inland water bodies. Palearctic migrant. <389><391><393>

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater
• Marine

Depth range based on 59 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 4 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 0
  Temperature range (°C): 9.558 - 13.353
  Nitrate (umol/L): 3.951 - 7.963
  Salinity (PPS): 33.310 - 35.029
  Oxygen (ml/l): 6.095 - 6.474
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.428 - 0.674
  Silicate (umol/l): 2.447 - 5.723

Graphical representation

Temperature range (°C): 9.558 - 13.353

Nitrate (umol/L): 3.951 - 7.963

Salinity (PPS): 33.310 - 35.029

Oxygen (ml/l): 6.095 - 6.474

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.428 - 0.674

Silicate (umol/l): 2.447 - 5.723
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Comments: BREEDING: Preferred nesting habitat is wet tundra adjacent to dry or stony ground; selects nest sites in light-colored moss and lichens (Johnson and Herter 1989). NON-BREEDING: mudflats, beaches, salinas, wet savanna, shores of ponds and lakes, wet meadows, flooded fields; sometimes mangroves or rocky shores (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

In U.S. migrates along Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the Mississippi River valley; more common in spring along inland routes in Canada. Migrates northward to arctic breeding grounds from s. U.S. in April; most arrive in Beaufort Sea area in early June, adults depart northern breeding areas around mid-August, young remain until late August or early September. Migrates through Costa Rica August-October and March-May (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Comments: In tidal sand and mud flats and in salt marshes feeds on: marine worms, insects, mollusks, crustaceans. In plowed fields, wet meadows and pastures searches for adult insects and larvae, earthworms, some seeds and berries (Terres 1980).

Pluvialis squatarola (Pluvialis squtarola grey plover) preys on:
Nereis diversicolor
Corophium volutator

Based on studies in:
Scotland (Estuarine)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Pluvialis squatarola (Pluvialis squtarola grey plover) is prey of:
Haploparaksis crassirostris
Catatropis terrucosa
Spelotrema clariforma

Based on studies in:
Scotland (Estuarine)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

100,000 - 1,000,000 individuals

Comments: Morrison et al. (2001) estimated the global population at 498,000 individuals, and that in North America at about 200,000 individuals (150,000 for P. S. CYNOSURAE and 50,000 for P. S. SQUATAROLAE).

Usually seen alone or in small flocks. May form large flocks to loaf or sleep (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Nesting density in Nunavut varied from 0.3 to 1.0 pairs per square kilometer on Devon Island (Hussell and Page 1976), to 1.2 to 2.3 pairs per square kilometer on Jenny Lind Island (Parmelee et al. 1967).

Comments: Foraged principally during daylight in northeastern Venezuela (Robert et al. 1989).

Maximum longevity: 23.5 years (wild)

Breeding begins late May in southwest to late June in north (Harrison 1978). Both sexes usually incubate 4 eggs for 26-27 days. Nestlings precocial. Young tended by both parents; parent depart before fledging at about 23 days.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 10
Specimens with Barcodes: 26
Species With Barcodes: 1

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 9 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2009
  Least Concern
• 2008
  Least Concern
• 2004
  Least Concern

Regular passage visitor and winter visitor.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N4B - Apparently Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Population