Black-bellied Plovers are shorebirds that breed in the Arctic and spend the nonbreeding season along U.S. coasts. Black-bellied Plovers show black patches under their wings in flight, even when their bellies are pale in winter.
Appearance
Appearance
This broad, heavy plover is about 11 in (28–29 cm) long. Breeding males have a black face and belly; winter birds are gray above and pale below. All ages show black wing pits in flight.
Black-bellied Plovers have thicker bills, grayer backs, and black wing pits in flight. American Golden-Plovers (Pluvialis dominica) look slimmer and warmer brown or gold.
Why they get mixed up · Both can have dark bellies in breeding .
A Black-bellied Plover looks larger and grayer, and its black wing pits show in flight. A Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) has a more golden back and lacks those black wing pits.
Why they get mixed up · Both species can show dark breeding plumage; in Hawaii, Black-bellied Plovers are much less common than Pacific Golden-Plovers.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
Tidal mudflats
Beaches
Estuaries
Range
It breeds in Arctic North America and spends the nonbreeding season along U.S. coasts. Migrants also stop at inland lakeshores and farm fields.
Behavior
Diet
It picks marine worms, small shellfish, and other small animals without backbones from mud or sand.
Activity
It runs, pauses to watch for prey, and feeds again as the falling tide exposes mudflats.
Life cycle
Nest
In the Arctic, it makes a shallow scrape on the ground and lines it with nearby plants.
Clutch size
3–4 eggs
Conservation
IUCN Red List
VUVulnerable·High risk of extinction in the wild
Status
Populations have declined widely.
Culture and stories
Culture and stories
The name Black-bellied Plover refers to its black belly during the breeding season.