Specie's Page                                               Little-ringed Plover - Small Waders

Little-ringed Plover:

UK Status: Summer visitor.

Habitat: This bird likes to be by water, and can be found on the coast also around inland pools, lakes and slow rivers. Being small waders they require mud flats and shallow silt to hunt and feed.

Breeding: Little-ringed Plovers first started to breed in the UK in 1938, and are now established here, there being many suitable breeding grounds. This bird typically nests on bare gravel at disused quarries, river banks and islets in pools and lakes where there is shallow water to feed in. Nests are just a shallow cup in gravel that has been scraped aside, and thinly lined with local vegetation. They lay three, or four pale yellow eggs that are speckled with dark spots, there is usually just the one clutch each year.

Comment: This bird is very similar in appearance to the Common Ringed Plover, in flight it lacks the white wing bar of the Common Ringed Plover. Little-ringed also have a broad, bright yellow ring around the eye, which is lacking in the Common Ringed Plover.

BE AWARE PLEASE:  Ground nesting birds are very vulnerable to having their eggs and chicks smashed or crushed. This can happen when people are unaware of their presence, or when dogs are allowed to run loose during the breeding season. Nests are very well hidden, and are not usually spotted until it's to late. Dogs often have no concern for ground nesting birds, please keep them on their leads from April through to the end of September.

Fun Fact:   A group of Plovers is known as a Congregation of Plovers.