Collared plover
Charadrius collaris
The collared plover (Anarhynchus collaris) is a small shorebird in the plover family, Charadriidae.
About the Collared plover
The collared plover (Anarhynchus collaris) is a small shorebird in the plover family, Charadriidae. It lives along coasts and riverbanks of the tropical to temperate Americas, from central Mexico south to Chile and Argentina. This small plover is 18 centimetres (7.1 in) long and weighs 35 grams (1.2 oz). Its upperparts are brown and the underparts white in all plumages. Adults have a black breast band. The male has a white forehead, bordered above by a black frontal bar, and below by a black stripe from the bill to the eye. The mid-crown and nape are chestnut and the legs are yellow. In flight, the flight feathers are dark with a white wing bar, and the tail shows white sides. The female collared plover is usually very similar to the male, but some individuals can be sexed by a brown tinge
Fun Facts About Collared plover
- This small plover is 18 centimetres (7.1 in) long and weighs 35 grams (1.2 oz).
- Like many ground-nesting species, adults perform a broken-wing display to lure presumed threats away from their nest and young.
- This species is not particularly gregarious, and seldom forms flocks.
- The timing of breeding activity varies depending on location: November to December in western Mexico, March to June in Costa Rica, January in Venezuela, and March in the lowlands of Ecuador.
- The nest is a bare ground scrape well above the tide or flood line on coasts and river shores or islands, or inland, often next to low cover, such as tufts of grass.
Conservation Status
The Collared plover is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is currently stable and not at significant risk of population decline.
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