Charadrius hiaticula - Great Ringed Plover
Feather characters. Barbules are from short until medium length (0.9-1.4 mm). Barbules are divided into pigmented nodes and partly pigmented (less than 50%) internodes. Vase-shaped nodes are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules (24-30 per mm). They are all about the same size, slightly decreasing towards distal end. On distal end, nodes become very small and elongated. Villi are absent and internodes are straight. Prongs are absent.
Field characters. Size 19 cm. Weight 64 g (55.4-74.5) (Dunning, 1993). A small, robust plover with a broad, black collar (wide over white chest and narrow on hindneck) and orange legs. Upperparts grey-brown, throat, sides of neck, hindneck, and patch on forehead white; black patches behind eye and on forecrown. Bill orange, tipped black; legs orange-yellow. Underparts white; tail-centre warm brown, white at sides and with a dark subterminal patch. In flight shows well-marked white wing-bar. Adult in winter has dark brown mask and breast-band; bill dark with yellow base to lower mandible. Juvenile lacks distinct black head and collar but has large white forehead, white line behind eye, and brown chest-ring.
Voice. Usual note is a melodious "tooyi" and a piping "queep"; song is a sort of trill based on the common note.
Distribution. Fairly common summer visitor in northern parts of Europe. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. In the breeding season, basically a bird of sandy and pebbly seashores; also exploits inland habitats such as estuaries, river lakes, tundra, gravel-beds, sand-bars, sandy heaths.
Food. Feeding method involves running, stopping, and pecking; may use also foot-trembling. Food consists of terrestrial and coastal invertebrates, such as beetles, polychaetes, amphipods, isopods, molluscs, or spiders.