summer

summer winter European distribution summer

Identification

Grey Plovers are bigger than Golden Plovers and have much greyer, almost silvery, upperparts. Their stouter head and especially the bigger almost bulging eyes, standing out in a paler face, are further helpful features. In spring, both plovers develop black underparts but in the Grey Plover the black is more solid and much more extensive. Grey Plovers look quite different in flight due to their obvious pale wing bars, pale barred upper-tail, white rump and, diagnostically, obvious black underarm patches.

Habitat

Winters on muddy estuaries and sandy beaches.

Migration

Birds wintering in Europe, move down from the high Arctic tundra from areas as far East as the Taymyr peninsula. In the UK there is a pronounced passage of adults mainly in May and during July-September, with juveniles moving through between September-November. Some immature birds remain through the summer.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Grey Plover is classed as Common: common species, including species that are certain or probable escapees from captivity when occurring in the British Isles. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Pennington Marshes, Hants 18/08/2010	Snettisham RSPB, Norfolk 15/08/2010	Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk 11/05/2010	Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk 11/05/2010	Titchwell RSPB, Norfolk 11/05/2010
Jamnagar, Gujarat, India 04/04/2010	Yatsu Higata, Chiba Prefecture, Honshū, Japan 18/04/2010	Snettisham RSPB, Norfolk 15/04/2010	Humberston, Lincs 31/03/2010	Pagham Hbr, W Sussex 18/03/2010

 View all pictures of Grey Plover

Grey Plover breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Russia

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