Plover

Plovers are a diverse group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. These birds are found in many habitats across the globe. They live almost everywhere on Earth. However, they are not found in the polar regions. They also avoid the Sahara desert.

While the term "plover" is used for many species, only about half of them include the word in their common name. They play an important role in various ecosystems by hunting small animals.

These birds have a very specific way of finding food. Most plovers possess relatively short bills. This physical trait changes how they hunt compared to other waders. For example, a snipe has a long bill to probe the ground. Plovers do not hunt by feel like a snipe does. Instead, they hunt primarily by sight.

They look for small creatures like insects, worms, or other invertebrates. To catch these, they use a unique run-and-pause technique. They run quickly across the ground and then stop suddenly to scan for movement.

Protecting their young is a vital part of their survival. Plovers use a clever method called false brooding. This is a type of distraction display used to protect their actual nests. A bird might pretend to sit on an imaginary nest site. It might also pretend to change its position to move a threat away.

This behavior keeps the real eggs or chicks hidden from predators. It is a way to use movement to confuse anything looking for food.

Taxonomy, or the science of naming and grouping living things, is quite complex for these birds. The family Charadriidae includes plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. Scientists are still working to settle exactly how these groups are related. The International Ornithological Congress (IOC) recognizes 69 different species within this family. These species are spread across 11 different genera. Some of these genera are very small and contain only one single species.

Different scientific groups have different ways of classifying these birds. The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS) puts all species into the Charadriinae subfamily. However, the North American Classification Committee of the AOS and BirdLife International do something different. They separate the four members of the genus Pluvialis into a different subfamily called Pluvialinae. This shows that even experts sometimes disagree on how to organize the tree of life.

There is a long history of scientists naming these various species. Many were identified by famous naturalists in the 1700s and 1800s. For instance, Linnaeus named the Grey plover in 1758. He also named the Common ringed plover in 1758. Later, Müller named the American golden plover in 1776. Other species, like the Kentish plover, were named by Linnaeus in 1758 as well.

These names help scientists communicate about specific birds across the world.

Plovers also hold a special place in human culture and folklore. In Iceland, the European golden plover is a very significant bird. This species spends its summer months in Iceland. For the people living there, the bird is a symbol of the changing seasons. When the first plover appears in the country, it means spring has officially arrived. The Icelandic media even makes special coverage of the first sighting each year. This connects the natural cycle of the birds to the human experience of time.