Kentish Plover

Charadrius alexandrinus

This small, agile shorebird darts along coastlines worldwide, leaving delicate footprints in its wake as it hunts for tiny crustaceans.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The Kentish Plover is a small, compact shorebird with a distinctive appearance. It has a pale brown upper body, white underparts, and a thin black bill. During the breeding season, males develop a black forehead band, ear patches, and an incomplete breast band.

Females and non-breeding males have a more subdued plumage, lacking the black markings. Juveniles resemble females but have buff-edged feathers on their upperparts, giving them a scaly appearance.

Size

Length

15cm to 17cm

Wingspan

42cm to 45cm

Weight

35g to 50g

Colours

Males and females have similar plumage

Primary Colour

Brown White

Secondary Colour

Black

Beak Colour

Black

Leg Colour

Black

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Kentish Plover is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Kentish Plover is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Kentish Plover can be found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Kentish Plover can be found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Kentish Plover is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Kentish Plover is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Kentish Plover is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Kentish Plover is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Kentish Plover is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Kentish Plover is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Kentish Plover is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Kentish Plover is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Kentish Plovers inhabit coastal areas, including sandy and shingle beaches, salt marshes, and lagoons. They are widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Some populations are also found in the Americas, where they are often referred to as Snowy Plovers.

In the UK, they are extremely rare breeding birds, mainly found in southeast England. During winter, some populations migrate to warmer coastal areas in southern Europe and Africa, while others remain resident year-round in suitable habitats.

Elevation Range

Up to 3,000 meters

Climate zones

Temperate, Subtropical, Tropical

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Kentish Plover. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons