Lesser Plover (Birds of Russia). Plover (Charadrius): description, reproduction, photos, interesting facts Where does the plover live

They have different habitats and ways of surviving, but they have one thing in common: small or the average size bodies and rather long legs, neck and wings. This group includes directly plovers family.

Among them are such varieties as:

• golden plovers;
• brown-winged plovers;
• Tules.

Despite the general species similarity in behavior and appearance, these also have some differences. Thus, when talking about the habits of plovers, as a rule, it is necessary to clarify which subspecies we are talking about.

Features and habitat of the plovers

Representatives of the plovers family prefer to live in the coldest parts of the world. Their habitat extends throughout northern Russia, Canada and Alaska and in some places reaches the Arctic Circle.

You can also see such a bird in the Scandinavian countries and northern Germany. They used to be found in Central Europe in more, but now you can meet her there only by chance.

Like a bird desert, plover chooses flat, large spaces in which it can move by running and short flights. This is exactly how she behaves when she does not need to make winter trips to warmer climes.

In winter, these birds make long flights and then prefer to wait out the coldest months in England, Argentina, as well as on the coasts and meadows of Western Europe.

Sometimes they linger even in the Caucasus and Central America. Traditionally, different species of plovers prefer different flight directions. For example, the brown-winged species prefers to settle in Argentina, but the golden plover is quite happy with wintering in the relatively cold England.

Plover lives in the tundra and in swampy meadows and fields, prefers the banks of water bodies. Sometimes plovers even choose to live on lands that are flooded with water. This allows them to find food.

Character and lifestyle of the plovers

The golden plover is a medium-sized member of the shorebird family. It has a large beak capable of splitting hard objects, such as small shells.

The color of its feathers is gray-brown, but in the spring the males have a much brighter color. This bird spends its entire life in cold and often marshy areas, through which it, like most waders, runs very quickly, periodically snatching prey with its beak.

In winter, the plover makes flights, usually staying within Northern Europe. She often chooses England for wintering. Flying speed of the golden plover reaches 50 km/h.

The brown-winged plover, oddly enough, is much brighter in appearance than the golden one. Its plumage contains the most variegated combinations. She has a white stripe running across her entire back, and her tail has that same golden hue.

She leads much of the same lifestyle as her sister, but makes much longer flights. At the same time, on the way, the brown-winged plover does not look for food or food, and practically does not stop until it reaches the shores of South America.

Tules are another species of plovers that are often classified as their own due to their large size compared to other species of these birds. However, he is close relative of the plover ordinary and belongs to the same family.

It has a rather bright white-brown or black-and-white color and prefers food from aquatic inhabitants, therefore it lives much closer to water bodies than other subspecies. However, it also obtains food either by quick throws while running or by short dives.

Nutrition

Golden Plover eats a wide variety of insects, from dragonflies to beetles. She does not disdain snails, but at the same time all kinds of larvae, cocoons and eggs. When the golden plover has to migrate during the winter cold, it settles on the English coasts and feeds on crustaceans there.

Sometimes the golden plover also pecks plant seeds, their berries and green shoots. In general, its diet can be considered the most diverse of all species of plovers. Brown-winged Plover also prefers to eat insects, snails and crustaceans, but it rarely eats parts of plants.

Moreover, as a rule, in her diet, when she does pay attention to plants, the main place is occupied by berries. She is much less interested in shoots and seeds than the golden one.

Tules, in turn, pays more attention to snails, mollusks and invertebrates. It also eats plants to a lesser extent than golden plover, as a rule, eating only their seeds or berries.

Reproduction and lifespan of the plover

Plover - bird, which builds its nests in small holes on the ground in the middle of open space, and this applies to all representatives of the species. The nests are lined with down, but not too thick. As a rule, both parents participate in incubating eggs, one of whom, if necessary, remains with the nest, and the other gets food and takes predators aside.

However, often only the female remains on the nest, and the male watches what is happening around from somewhere above. This allows plovers to notice danger in time and react appropriately.

The golden plover and tule usually have four eggs in a nest, all brownish in color, which can also be pinkish or golden, or can range to almost black, often with dark spots at the bottom, near the blunt end.

They do not lay eggs immediately, but over the course of two days, sometimes with quite noticeable breaks. The brown-winged plover lays only two or three eggs, and they are all white with black speckles.

Average incubation period for eggs different types The plovers' lifespan ranges from 23 to 30 days, after which the chicks hatch fully capable of feeding on their own, although covered in soft down. After a month to a month and a half, they finally mature and leave the nest. The development cycle lasts the longest for the golden plover, the shortest for the brown-winged plover.

Plover chick

Like anyone sandpiper, plover has a fairly limited lifespan. Until now, the maximum officially recorded lifespan of the golden plover is only twelve years. The brown-winged plover reaches fourteen, and sometimes even sixteen years.

The tulesa can be called a real long-liver among the representatives of the species - it lives up to eighteen years. However, even this period is considered long among waders. Their average lifespan is usually only four to ten years.

Class: Birds Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriiformes Genus: Plovers Species: Lesser plover

Little Plover - Charadrius dubius

Appearance.

Slightly larger than a sparrow and slightly smaller than a ringed sparrow. It differs from the ringed one in having a completely black beak, dull yellow or pinkish legs, a yellow rim around the eye and a poorly visible white stripe along the wing.

During the autumn migration, the black color of the “tie” becomes sandy-brown, the legs and rings around the eyes darken, and the white color elements on the head turn yellow. Juveniles have a noticeable scaly pattern on the head and wings; the “tie” is usually “torn” in the middle of the chest.

Lifestyle.

Inhabits sandy or pebble beaches along the banks of rivers and lakes, sometimes far from water. Migrant. Common, abundant in places. The nesting pattern is similar to that of the ringed beetle, but the eggs are noticeably smaller, and the specks are usually shaped like dots. The alarm cry is a melodic “piu”, similar to the voice of a tie. It feeds on insects and other invertebrates.

It differs from the ringed one by its black beak. a white stripe over a black one on the forehead and yellow circles around the eyes, the absence of a stripe on the wing (young ones are difficult to distinguish), from the sea plover - a solid “tie”, from the Ussuri plover - the absence of a black bridge between the beak and the white forehead (without special skills it is often indistinguishable ).

Feeding behavior and feeding sites are the same as those of the ringed fish, but usually stays closer to the water's edge. When restless, a sharp call is “nod”, “kriu” or a gentle “tew”, “peck”.

It nests on the shallows of rivers and lakes, landfills, trampled wastelands and abandoned quarries near water. Nest - a hole in sand or pebbles - often lined with pebbles, chips, etc.; soft lining is rarely done.

Reference books by geographer and traveler V.E. Flint, R.L. Boehme, Yu.V. Kostin, A.A. Kuznetsov. Birds of the USSR. Publishing house "Mysl" Moscow, edited by prof. G.P. Dementieva. Birds of Moscow. Determinant. - M: Torius77, 156

Description of the bird

The body length of the plover is on average from 15 to 20 cm. The wingspan reaches 45 cm, the weight ranges from 30 to 70 g.

The back plumage of adult males during the mating season is sandy-brown. The rump and tail are darker than the back. The back of the head and crown are red. Forehead and stripe above eyes white. The belly is white. The wings are dark with streaks. The beak is black, the iris is dark brown, the tarsus in front is dark gray or red-gray. Different kinds decorated with black or white stripes along the body, thanks to which they can be distinguished.

Females usually differ from males in having less pronounced bright streaks and generally pale plumage.

IN winter period adult males become similar to females, but the color of their plumage on top is still darker. Black spots remain on the head.

Juvenile plovers are similar to adult birds in winter plumage, but they are lighter in color. Instead of dark areas of plumage, young animals have an ocher tint. The color of the paws, iris and beak is the same as in adults.

The downy chick is colored gray with black spots on the back, the belly is light.

The basis of the plovers' diet during the mating season consists of insect larvae: beetles, mosquitoes, ants, termites, flies and the insects themselves. Occasionally the bird may feed on lizards. In winter, plover's food includes mollusks, crustaceans, snails, worms and insects, as well as algae.

Plovers look for their food on the sand near water or in soft silt and soil. The plover cannot swim and its beak is small, so the bird cannot penetrate deeply into the mule, and usually eats what it finds directly on the surface. In addition, the plover, like an ordinary chicken, is capable of digging sand with its feet, turning it over and finding delicacies hidden in its lower layers.

Bird distribution

In Europe, the plover is found from the south of England, Norway and Sweden to the Mediterranean coasts (everywhere along the coastal strip).

Plover species are also common in the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Cape Verde and Azores islands, northern Africa up to the northern Sahara, in Egypt, along the shores of the Red Sea.

In Asia, the plovers can be found east to Balochistan and Sindh, Ceylon, Mongolia, Manchuria, Central Asia, Korea, Japan, China and further south to Australia and the islands of Tasmania.

The plover lives in both Northern and South America(in countries such as the USA, Peru, Chile).

In winter, the northern migratory subspecies migrate south, while the southern residents remain in their nesting areas.

Common types of plovers

Sea plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

A small bird about the size of a house sparrow. It lives on all continents on the open coasts of salt and fresh water bodies. Migratory view.

In the male, the back is brownish-gray, the neck is red, the abdomen, forehead and stripe above the eyes are white, there is a “black mask” on the eyes, and the crown is black. There are two dark spots on the sides of the chest. The beak and paws are black.

The female does not have black feathers on the crown of her head, but otherwise she is similar to the male.

In size this small view does not exceed a sparrow. Lives on pebble banks of rivers and lakes. Migratory view.

The plumage on the back is brownish-gray, the belly is white, and there is a transverse black stripe on the crop. The crown is dark, there is a black stripe on the forehead and a white spot that reaches the beak, the beak is black, the eyes are surrounded by a yellow ring. The bird emits a sharp short cry “pip-pip”.

A small species, the size of a sparrow, which inhabits the sandy or pebble coasts of rivers and lakes, occasionally far from water. Migratory view.

The back of adult birds is feathered in a brownish-gray color, the belly is white, and there is a transverse black stripe on the crop. The crown is dark, the forehead is decorated with a wide black stripe, on top of which there is a thin white stripe. The eyes are outlined with a yellow border. Paws with three toes, light yellow or red. The young are grayish-brown on top with pale edges on all feathers. There is no black stripe across the crown.

The body length reaches 26 cm. The plumage on the back is gray-brown. The abdomen and neck are white. The bird's breast is decorated with a double black stripe. The tail is long, wedge-shaped. The tail is red-brown. The young are very similar to adult birds, but the black tones in the plumage are less pronounced.

The species is distributed in North, Central and South America. Residents of the northern region migrate south in winter. Occasionally flies into Western Europe. For living, the noisy plover often chooses cultivated lands or meadows, pastures, marshy fertile soils and river mouths.

The plumage of the species is sand-colored. Adult birds have yellow-orange legs, a black stripe between the eyes and a black ring around the neck. Thanks to such nondescript plumage, the bird is well camouflaged into the surrounding landscape.

The yellow-footed plover lives on the sandy and pebble beaches of the Atlantic, on the shores of the Great Lakes, in the USA and Canada. Between November and March, migratory populations travel to the Gulf of Mexico, or to the southern coast of the United States down to the Caribbean islands.

Adults reach a length of 18 cm. They differ from related species by two black stripes on the chest, which are separated by a white stripe. The rims of the eyes and the base of the bird's beak are red. It does not have sexual dimorphism. Young animals are less intensely colored; there are no red circles around the eyes.

The three-banded plover is common on the sandy and gravel shores of water bodies in South Africa (in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique), except in the Kalahari region.

The bird's body length is about 15 cm, its wingspan is up to 30 cm, its weight is from 35 to 40 g. The plumage on the abdomen is white, on the back it is brown. In males, the color of the head and neck on top is red (hence the name of the species), in females these areas are paler (reddish or grayish brown). The beak is black.

The habitat of the species is Australia and New Zealand. The red-capped plover lives in marshy areas, close to rivers.

Body length up to 21 cm. Weight about 70 g. Adult birds in the nesting period are white with a dark grayish-brown back and a bright brown breast. There are thin black stripes under the neck and between the eyes and beak. Young birds do not have such stripes, there are fewer brown streaks and the white plumage is not as pronounced.

The species is common in New Zealand and winters in Australia. The bird lives on sandy beaches, meadows or open areas.

Body length is from 17 to 20 cm. Wingspan is 45-55 cm. Weight is in the range of 50-75 g.

In the breeding plumage the forehead is white with a thin black stripe in the middle. The head has a black mask that extends from the base of the beak through the eyes to the ear patches. The top of the head is brown, with a reddish-brown stripe from the back of the head to the breast. The white neck is separated from the red breast by a thin black stripe. The back and wings are brown. The belly is white with small red-brown spots on the sides. Paws are greenish-brown. The iris is dark brown. The beak is dark brown.

In winter, there is no mask on the head, the chest becomes reddish-brown. The color of the plumage on the back is brown, and on the belly it is whitish. The young resemble adult birds in winter plumage, only the top of their heads are bright brown.

The Mongolian plover lives in eastern Russia. The bird nests on the Chukotka, Kamchatka, and Commander Islands peninsulas. The species is migratory and spends the winter in the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia.

The plumage on the back is brown, the throat and belly are white, the chest is orange. The species is distributed in clay and rocky deserts in Central Asia, in the north and east of the Caspian Sea. In winter it migrates to eastern Africa.

A bird with a dense build and long legs. Its body length is up to 25 cm, its wingspan is from 53 to 60 cm, its weight is in the range of 75-100 g.

In the breeding plumage of the male, the crown, nape, neck and chest are colored red. The forehead is white with a black transverse stripe; cheeks and ear coverts black; The neck, neck and belly are white. The back is colored grayish-brown with a greenish tint. During the molting process, all the reddish-buff tones disappear and the color becomes gray-brown, and the belt on the chest becomes gray. Adult female all year round resembles a male in extramarital attire.

The species is widespread in Asia, most often found in Turkey, Syria and Jordan, as well as in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, in the desert regions of Central Asia, and Altai. For life, the bird chooses open, dry areas of plains, covered with fine rubble, with sparse salt marsh vegetation. Some populations are migratory and winter on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Sexual dimorphism in plovers is rather weakly expressed. Females and males of many species do not differ at all from each other. They are always the same in size, only in some species the females are lighter and more modest in plumage than the males.

The nesting period for the plovers begins at the end of April or at the beginning of May and lasts throughout June and even the first half of July, and in total can reach two and a half months.

Immediately after arriving at the nesting sites, the birds create pairs and begin mating. However, before this, mating games are held, in which there are no fights between males, but each male lures and attracts a female. Thus, the male plovers circle around the female in an oscillating flight, after which he sits down next to her, but the female manages to run away. Then the male fluffs up his plumage and runs after her, but does not have time to catch up with her. And the male again sets off in pursuit, very often while singing. Such mating games last for several days.

The plover's nest is a small flat hole with a diameter of 55 to 85 mm. Birds hide it well and rarely place it openly. The male and female line the hole with grass and moss.

One clutch consists of 3-4 eggs. The color of the eggs is very diverse - reddish, olive, brown with spots and streaks.

Incubation continues for 24 days. During this period, the plover often flies towards a person in order to lead the uninvited guest away from the nest and chicks. To do this, the bird first runs very quickly towards the person, and then takes off sharply and turns in the opposite direction.

Newborn chicks hide well on the open and flat surface of a sandy beach or salt marsh, thanks to the similar inconspicuous color of their plumage. They can run fast and make a characteristic squeak.

Interesting facts about the bird

• The birds acquired their Russian name because of the same nickname of the younger members of the team on the boats. It was used by Arkhangelsk industrialists, and this is where the Russian surname Zuev also came from.
• The genus of plovers includes about 30 species, a third of which nest in Russia, for example, small, noisy, large-billed, Ussuri, Mongolian, eastern, Caspian, and sea plover.
• During the mating season, the male digs a hole for the nest, inviting the female to create a pair. If she agrees, then, in turn, she helps the male and covers the nest with grass and moss.
• Plover - very smart birds, they sense the cold in the spoiled eggs and throw them out of the clutch. And in healthy eggs the temperature is high.
• Images of the plover are located on the flag and coat of arms of the city of Orekhovo-Zuyevo.

Appearance and behavior. A small plover, slightly larger than a sparrow, with a dense build; like, with a large, rounded head and contrasting black and white drawing on the head and chest. The wings are of medium length, sharp and narrow, the tail is of medium length, slightly rounded. Body length 14–15 cm, wingspan 42–48 cm, body weight 30–50 g.

Description. Adult males and females are similar to the ruffed ones, grayish-brown above, white below, the crop also has a transverse black stripe that runs along the sides of the neck and forms a black collar bordering the back of a white necklace. Differences from ringed birds include the color of the flight feathers, a completely black beak, the presence of a clear yellow leathery rim around the eye, an almost invisible white longitudinal stripe on the wing and smaller sizes. On the head there is a wide black stripe across the crown, which is edged at the back by a narrow white stripe.

Unlike the ringed plover, the primary flight feathers of the little plover are single-colored with brown shafts, except for the first flight feather, which has a white shaft. The white apical edges of the large upper wing coverts are very narrow and do not form a noticeable white stripe on the wing. The legs are three-toed, buffy-pinkish, dull yellow or reddish, “meaty” in color. The membrane between the middle and outer fingers is very small. Rainbow is dark brown. The metatarsus and beak are relatively longer than those of the ringed one.

Adult birds in winter plumage are colored the same as in summer, but the black color elements are replaced by sandy-brown ones, a yellow coating appears on the white plumage of the forehead and eyebrows, a yellow periorbital ring and the legs become darker. In contrast to the ruffed plover, the winter plumage of the lesser plovers is characterized by the presence of light reddish edges on the brown feathers of the upper body and upper wing coverts. Young birds in juvenile plumage are grayish-brown above with pale buffy apical edges on each feather, creating a peculiar scaly pattern. There is no black stripe across the crown. The rest of the coloration is the same as that of young ringed birds, with the exception of the flight feathers, which lack a white stripe along the wing.

Young birds in the first winter are similar to young birds in juvenile plumage. Young birds in their first breeding plumage are indistinguishable from adults. The downy chick is blackish-brown on top with a predominant reddish-ocher tint and with whitish or pale buffy bases of the downs. A black stripe runs from the beak to the eye, another black stripe stretches across the forehead to the crown. The back of the head is framed by a sharply prominent black stripe, reaching the rear edge of the eye. There is a white necklace at the neck. The underparts are white, with a small black spot on the sides of the crop. It differs from the sea plover in its solid “tie”, the color of its legs and its voice.

Voice. Call - melodious whistle " kriu" or " pew" When anxious, more sonorous " krrriv», « hook", when removed from the nest or brood - murmuring and creaking sounds. During mating, the male emits a repeating whistling sound. Krie-krie-krie-krie...».

Distribution, status. The nesting range covers most Eurasia and northern Africa. In the European part of Russia, a breeding migratory species inhabiting this territory from the western border north to Kandalaksha and the southern coast of the White Sea, the valley of the middle Pechora and the 60th parallel in the region Ural mountains. On migration it can be found everywhere south of the indicated border. Vagrants are known in the tundra zone up to the Pechora delta and the Arctic Circle. Wintering grounds are located in inland waters and along the sea coasts of Africa, India, Indochina and Indonesia.

Lifestyle. It appears at nesting sites relatively late: in the south of the range, in the Ciscaucasia, at the end of March, in central Russia - at the end of April or beginning of May, in the north, in the northern taiga and forest-tundra - at the end of May or early June. As a rule, it migrates in small dense flocks. Males soon after arrival occupy large individual territories, up to 1 hectare in area, and begin mating. The male displays, flying over his area in irregular circles at a low altitude.

The flight is slow, with rare flapping of open and arched wings, sometimes the bird rolls from side to side. When courting a female, the male approaches her, taking a specific pose (the plumage on the chest is rumpled, the head is pulled into the shoulders), then suddenly straightens up, stretches his neck and begins to quickly move his legs, raising them high above the ground, while slowly moving forward. After this, mating often occurs.

Nests on sandy and pebble banks and shallows of rivers and fresh lakes, among dunes, on dry mud, less often along the banks of salty rivers, on salt marshes, in the anthropogenic landscape - in worked out quarries, quarries, in residential areas (garbage dumps, landfills, construction sites, outskirts villages). The male makes several nesting holes, one of which becomes a nest. This is a shallow hole in sandy, pebble or silty soil, among flood sediments with a sparse lining of small pebbles, chips, shell fragments, or no lining at all.

There are quite a lot of varieties of plovers, they all differ in their distribution areas, external characteristics and behavior. At first, these birds were distributed exclusively in European countries, then their habitat expanded to Asia, Africa, China, Far East and other countries. These inhabitants prefer to settle in brackish or freshwater areas.

Varieties of plovers

Today, there are more than 5 varieties of plovers, including the small one. We will review everyone in order so that you have a clear idea.

Small

1. According to their overall characteristics, birds grow to a maximum of 17 cm, but most often individuals are 14-15 cm. Wingspan indicators vary from 43 to 50 cm, and body weight is only 30-50 grams. Now it is clear why these birds were called small.
2. On the back of the plovers' heads there is a pattern in the shape of a cap, which is bordered by a strip of whitish tone. In the front section at the top of the head the feathers are black. There are yellowish circles in the eye area. In females they are narrow, and in males they are larger.
3. In the lower section the head is light. Males have a black stripe in the neck area, while females have a brown stripe. The wings and back are brownish-gray. The body and chest are white. The beak is dark, the legs are beige, and there are webbed feet.
4. When the cold season sets in, the plumage takes on a brownish tone with a light sheen. Those circles around the eyes turn dark. Juveniles are grey-brownish and have a neck stripe divided into two sections.

Nautical

1. Seabirds do not exceed the size of a sparrow. They are common in brackish or fresh water sources. They are migratory and go to warmer places for the winter.
2. The back of males is gray-brown, the area behind the neck is red, the ventral part is white, the forehead is light, the stripe in the eye area is whitish or beige.
3. A distinctive feature is the black mask. There are dark spots on the sides of the body. The legs and beak are pigmented black.
4. Females differ from males in that they lack black feathers. In all other respects, they are similar to males. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to distinguish them.

Ussuri

1. In terms of overall dimensions, this species is as small as the previous one, that is, the dimensions are comparable to passerines. Individuals live near lakes, rivers and pebbly areas.
2. The back is painted gray with a brown overtone, and the ventral area is whitish. In the area of ​​the goiter, that is, at the bottom of the neck, there is a black stripe. The crown is dark, the frontal part has a white mark and a black stripe.
3. The area above the beak is painted black, the eyes are edged with a yellow tint. Birds are famous for their ringing voice, which resembles a squeal.

Three stripe

1. These individuals are larger than their counterparts, their length can reach 18 cm. They are distinguished by black stripes in the chest area, which are separated by a white mark.
2. The bird has red feathers in the area of ​​the eyes and beak. As for gender differences, there are none. Juveniles are most often sparsely colored and do not have bright colors.

Redcap

1. The body length of the individual in question reaches about 16 cm. At the same time, the wingspan can reach up to 32 cm. The weight of the bird is small and amounts to only 40 grams. This plover has white plumage on its belly. Brown spots can be seen on the back.
2. Males have a red neck and head. And only from above. It is because of this characteristic feature that the individual in question received its name. Females have faded colors. Their beak is also black.
3. The presented birds mainly live in New Zealand and Australia. This plover prefers marshy areas and the banks of calm rivers.

How to distinguish a female from a male

1. It is quite difficult to identify sex differences in the individuals in question. Often, many species of plovers have virtually no differences between females and males.
2. Even the size of the individuals remains the same. Only in some species of these birds, females have a weaker plumage color than males.

Reproduction

1. Little plovers arrive at nesting sites from the beginning of spring. The birds remain until mid-summer. Many factors may also depend on the region where individuals fly. The colder the area, the later the birds arrive here.
2. As soon as the birds arrive at the nesting sites, the males immediately begin to carve out a territory for themselves. After this, the male begins to attract his other half in every possible way.
3. Once a pair has formed, they begin building a nest. Often the dwelling is located on the shore of pebbles or sand. The nest is a depression lined with dry grass. Birds often use pine needles, small pebbles and wood chips as an alternative.
4. At one time, the female can lay up to 4 eggs. They are whitish in color with black or brown spots. The offspring begin to be born a little less than a month later. Both parents hatch the eggs. They often replace each other.
5. It happens that the clutch may completely die, in which case the couple again begins to lay eggs again. The young animals that are born quickly adapt to environment and begins to be active. They run and hide well if they notice danger or a potential threat.
6. The young become fully winged as soon as they are 1 month old. Birds begin to migrate in late summer or early autumn. Flights to southern countries are carried out in small groups. It often happens that individuals migrate even alone. Often, after wintering, birds return to their usual nesting places.

Nutrition and behavior

1. It is worth noting that the individuals in question often live at an altitude of 700-800 m above sea level. Cases have been recorded more than once when birds were spotted even in the Himalayas. Moreover, the height of their habitat can reach up to 2.8 km. above sea level.
2. The usual diet of the small plover often includes all kinds of insects, worms and crustaceans. The presented individuals obtain food in most cases in shallow water and open places. Most often, such birds hang around in flocks near water, where there are a lot of invertebrates.

1. While such a bird is running, you can observe an interesting picture. It takes on an almost horizontal position. In this case, the individual stops suddenly.
2. Such birds even help the nesting pair. Relatives can feed young animals. It is worth knowing that the female immediately leaves the nest after hatching. The male continues to do everything else.
3. There are about 30 species in the genus of birds in question. 30% of such individuals often nest in the territory Russian Federation. During mating time, the male independently builds a nest and invites the female into it.

The representatives of birds under consideration are quite interesting individuals with peculiar characteristic features. The Little Plover is not on the verge of extinction. There is practically no threat to such individuals. In addition, these birds have a fairly sharp mind and intelligence.

Video: Little Plover (Charadrius dubius)