Black-bellied plover

Language English

Onglets

Description

Distinguishing features

The black-bellied plover is a medium-sized shorebird. It stands out from other plovers by its silvery-grey mottled plumage, which gives the species its name. Its legs are sturdy, and its bill is black, straight, and fairly short.

During the breeding season, the male takes on a distinctive appearance. Its face and chest turn black, and a white band runs along the flanks to the forehead. The female, by contrast, has a more subdued overall plumage.

In winter, the Black-bellied Plover’s colouring becomes more even, though it retains black feathers under the wings.

Reproduction

The black-bellied plover breeds in the Arctic tundra from late May to mid-August. Its nest is a simple scrape in the ground, lined with lichens and plant material. The female usually lays four eggs, which both parents incubate for about 24 to 27 days.

The chicks leave the nest soon after hatching. Although the adults do not feed them directly, they keep watch and protect them from danger.

The young are able to fly about three weeks after hatching. They begin their autumn migration south two to three weeks later.

Diet

An opportunistic predator, the black-bellied plover feeds mainly on invertebrates. In coastal areas, it takes advantage of low tide to feed on marine worms, crustaceans, molluscs, and insects.

When it forages on land, it catches insects, larvae, and other prey it spots visually. It hunts by alternating between short, rapid runs and sudden stops.

Predators

Black-bellied plover eggs and chicks are especially vulnerable to Arctic foxes, gulls, jaegers, and other predatory birds.

During migration and in winter, adults may also be captured by birds of prey such as peregrine falcons.

Their main defences are nest camouflage and distraction displays, such as spreading their wings or calling out.

Habitat

The black-bellied plover uses different habitats depending on the season. During the breeding season, it nests in the open Arctic tundra. At other times of year, it is found mainly in coastal habitats, including beaches, mudflats, estuaries, and salt marshes.

During migration, it can also be seen in open inland habitats such as wet grasslands.

Ecology, behaviour

It is a subarctic species that travels long distances. Its movements can span 4,000 to 5,000 kilometres, from the Arctic tundra to the coasts of the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Outside the breeding season, the black-bellied plover is generally gregarious and gathers in flocks along the shore. In coastal ecosystems, it plays an important role by helping to keep invertebrate populations in check.

French name

Pluvier argenté

Scientific name

Pluvialis squatarola

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Birds

Order

Charadriiformes

Family

Charadriidés

Size

Length: 26 to 29 cm

Weight

Average: 250 g

Life span

Over 15 years

Status

Common species

At the Biodôme

Our black-bellied plover moves freely throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem. It is most often seen in the coastal marsh, alongside the killdeer and the ruddy turnstone.

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