Common Ringed Plover
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
At a Glance
This small shorebird is very much like our Semipalmated Plover, and replaces it in Europe and Asia. The breeding range of the Ringed Plover extends to Greenland and to some islands in the high Canadian Arctic, and a very few also come into western Alaska, but these birds virtually all cross to the Old World in fall before migrating south.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Plovers, Sandpiper-like Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Coasts and Shorelines, Tundra and Boreal Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North
Behavior
Direct Flight, Rapid Wingbeats, Running
Population
910.000
Range & Identification
Description
7" (19 cm). Almost identical to Semipalmated Plover. Tends to have slightly broader black chest band, more obvious white eyebrow, slightly longer bill. Difference in voice may be noticed by very experienced birders.
Size
About the size of a Robin, About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Black, Brown, Orange, White
Wing Shape
Long, Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Rounded, Short, Square-tipped, Wedge-shaped
Songs and Calls
A soft, 2-syllable tooip or tooeep with slightly rising inflection.
Call Pattern
Flat
Call Type
Whistle
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Common Ringed Plover