Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Also known as: Ringed Plover, Great Ringed Plover

Predict Sightings

Habitat

Ground

Diet

Invertebrate

Active Time

Diurnal

Size

64 g

About This Species

Found on shingle and sandy beaches and Arctic tundra during the breeding season, and on tidal mudflats and shorelines across Europe, Africa, and Asia on migration and in winter, this small plover forages with the same stop-and-peck style typical of the group. Look for a bold black breast band and orange legs, and listen for a soft, fluted whistle. Spring and summer bring birds onto open beaches to nest, while passage periods concentrate them on estuaries and mudflats.

Ethical Viewing Guidelines

Beach-nesting birds are especially vulnerable, since nests are simple scrapes on open ground that are easily trampled or abandoned if adults are repeatedly flushed, so keep to established paths and give nesting areas a wide berth in spring and summer.
It is protected under national laws implementing the EU Birds Directive across much of its European range and under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the UK, with similar protections elsewhere depending on the country.
On migration and in winter, ordinary care around roosting flocks on mudflats is sufficient.

LCAvesCharadriiformesCharadriidae

Seasonal Activity

1,604,446 sightings · 2000–2026

Citizen science records via GBIF

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Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Charadriidae

Traits

Diet: Invertebrate
Foraging: Ground
Activity: Diurnal
Body mass: 64 g

Photo

CC-BY-4.0

Occurrence data from GBIF.