The
common ringed plover (
Charadrius hiaticula) is a species of bird in the family
Charadriidae. Its breeding range consists of much of northern Eurasia, as well as Greenland. It is a
migratory bird and many individuals spend their winters in locations across Africa. Its breeding habitat is generally open ground on beaches or flats although some birds breed inland. They are commonly found both in low coastal plains and in cold uplands with sparse vegetation, in open habitats with little or no plant cover, where they nest on the ground. Breeding occurs from one year of age, with egg laying generally beginning around May. A clutch of three to four eggs is laid at intervals of one to three days, with the downy grey-buff chicks hatching after twenty-one to twenty-seven days. The common ringed plover forages for food on beaches, tidal flats and fields, usually by sight. It eats insects, crustaceans and worms, forages both by day and by night, and sometimes uses foot-trembling to reveal location of prey. This common ringed plover was photographed near Orkelsjøen, a lake in
Oppdal, Norway.
Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp
_Oppdal.jpg)
