Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
Also known as: Snowy Plover
Habitat
Ground
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
42 g
About This Species
A small, pale shorebird of sandy and shingle beaches, salt pans, and estuaries across Europe, Asia, and Africa, this plover runs in short bursts and pauses to snatch invertebrates from the sand, blending well with pale, dry substrate. It nests in a simple scrape on open beach or bare ground, typically from spring into summer, and both sexes share incubation duties. Early morning visits to undisturbed beaches and salt pans, when human and dog activity is lowest, give the best chance of watching normal foraging and nesting behaviour.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Because nests are camouflaged scrapes on open ground, walking on beaches during the breeding season carries a real risk of accidentally trampling eggs or chicks, so staying on marked paths or well below the high-tide line is important.
- Adults that perform distraction displays or repeatedly flush from the same spot are very likely guarding a nearby nest and should be given a wide berth rather than followed.
- Coastal and shorebird protection law varies across its Europe-Asia-Africa range, and many breeding beaches have seasonal access restrictions, so check local signage and regulations before visiting.
Seasonal Activity
474,072 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Charadriidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 42 g
Photo
(c) djhird, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.