Great Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

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Brief #

Brownish grey above and whitish below. It has a orange bill, tipped with black, orange legs and a black-and-white pattern on its head and breast.

Synonyms #

  • Chorlitejo grande (Spanish)
  • PĂ­llara real (Galician)

Red List Status #

The Great Ringed Plover is unlikely to become extinct in the near future.
Find out more about IUCN's Red List program here

Description #

They have a grey-brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with one black neckband. They have a brown cap, a white forehead, a black mask around the eyes and a short orange and black bill. The legs are orange and only the outer two toes are slightly webbed, unlike the slightly smaller but otherwise very similar semipalmated plover, which has all three toes slightly webbed, and also a marginally narrower breast band; it was in former times included in the present species. Juvenile ringed plovers are duller than the adults in colour, with an often incomplete grey-brown breast band, a dark bill and dull yellowish-grey legs. This species differs from the smaller little ringed plover in leg colour, the head pattern, and the lack of an obvious yellow eye-ring.

Measurements #

Length: 18 - 20 cm
Wingspan: 48 - 57 cm
Weight: 55 - 75 g

Similar species #