Field Guide

Little Ringed Plover

Thinornis dubius

Aves › Charadriiformes › Charadriidae › Thinornis

The little ringed plover is a small plover native to the Old World. It has mostly brown upperparts, a black neckband and a black mask around the eye with a noticeable yellow eyering. Its forehead, belly and the rest of the breast are white. A migratory species, it breeds in open gravel areas near freshwater, including gravel pits, islands and river edges. Its diet consists mainly of insects and worms, which it forages for in muddy areas.

How To Identify

It is a small, slender bird with overall sandy-brown plumage; its most recognizable feature is the distinct dark band or 'ring' visible across its pale breast.

Habitat

It typically inhabits open, sparsely vegetated areas near water such as sandy beaches, gravel pits, riverbanks, and shallow wetlands.

Behaviour

The Little Ringed Plover performs a distinctive 'broken-wing' distraction display, feigning injury to lead predators away from its nest and chicks.

Native Range

The little ringed plover is native to the Old World.

Did You Know?

The specific name, dubius, is Latin for "doubtful," "uncertain" or "dubious" because Pierre Sonnerat thought it might be a variant of the common ringed plover.

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