Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

Return to Eastern Plovers

Summer

Winter

Color Photographs: Copyright Robert Benson, Center for Bioacoustics, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 10 to 12 inches.

Summer: Back and wings gray-white, spotted with black. Crown and back of neck diffuse gray with a broad, white band running from the top third of the head down the side of the neck and sides of the body. Lower half of head, neck, breast, and sides black. Rump white. Upper side of wing with a diffuse, white band near the rear margin of the wing and a small black spot at the base of the underside of the wing (both seen only in flight).

Winter: Body gray flecked with black. A diffuse, dark line arising from the rear margin of the eye. Rump white. Upper side of wing with a diffuse, white band near the rear margin of the wing and a small black spot at the base of the underside of the wing (both seen only in flight).

Similar Species:  The Black-bellied Plover is easily mistaken for the American Golden Plover. The summer American Golden Plover has a golden-green color to the light flecking of the back. The rump is black, not white. Winter American Golden Plovers are difficult to separate from winter Black-bellied Plovers. However the winter American Golden Plover is darker and browner overall. The wing of the American Golden Plover lacks a white stripe near the rear margin of the wing above and is also missing a dark patch at the base of the wing below (seen only in flight)

Breeding Range (see map below): The Black-bellied Plover breeds in extreme northern, coastal Alaska and the arctic islands of northern Canada. The species is also found in northern Europe and Asia.

Overwintering Range:  This species overwinters along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific Coasts of the United States.

Habitat: The Black-belllied Plover is found on the tundra during the breeding season. Overwinter birds are found on beachs, mudflats, and coastal swamps.

Food: Primarily insects during the breeding season. Overwintering birds feed on marine and aquatic invertebrates.

Behavior: The voice is a haunting, slurred whistle.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 3 to 4 tan eggs spotted with brown. The eggs are laid in a shallow depression in the tundra lined with moss, lichens, and grass.