Wilson's Plover

One reason I like plovers is that they are pretty tolerant of humans, so they can be closely observed and photographed. On our Texas trip in May we observed 7 species in the family Charadriidae, which includes the plovers, sand-plovers, lapwings, and dotterels. One of the best spots was Rollover Pass, where we watched Wilson's Plover, Charadrius wilsonia. In the shot below the duller female Wilson's is on the left, the male with the rufous eyebrow and wide breastband is in the center, and the slightly larger Dunlin is on the right. The long thick bill quickly separates Wilson's from otherCharadrius plovers.

Here's a better shot of the male. The pink legs also set it apart from other plovers.

The plovers are usually grouped with the large family Scolopacidae, the Sandpipers. It was interesting to read in Sibley's Guide to Birdlife & Behavior that the plover family may be more closely related to the Gulls and Terns than to the sandpipers!

The list of plovers we encountered in Texas included Black-bellied, American Golden, Piping, Semipalmated, Snowy and Wilson's Plovers, along with the Killdeer.

Some past plover photos.