Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius )
The Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius ) is a species of bird in the family of plovers ( Charadriidae ). In Central Europe, the Ringed Plover is a common, but little common breeding and summer bird. During the migration period it is relatively frequently observed as a migrant and resting bird.
Description
An adult ringed plover is 15 to 18 cm tall and weighing 25 to 55 g The wingspan of 34 to 45 cm. From the very similar Ringed Plover, the Ringed Plover differs by its smaller and slimmer appearance. He also has a darker beak and striking yellow eyes rings that are missing the sand plover.
Its back is brown and its base is colored white. The short beak is dark and his legs are colored brown yellow. The Ringed Plover has black eyes with a yellow eye ring. The front part of the head is drawn in black and white. Likewise, the little ringed plover has a black collar. Males and females have the same coloring. His reputation goes something like " piu " or " pri".
Habitat
The ringed plover lives on mud, sand, gravel areas and lakes in most of Europe (except Scotland, Ireland, Norway and Iceland ). Lakes and gravel pits are mostly only provisional, since there are only very few natural rivers with gravel banks.
In the winter season from November to February is the long-distance migrant, flying mainly at night to his winter quarters, guest in the Mediterranean and in Africa. Among the wintering sites include the south of the Sahara to the coast of West Africa, Zaire, Tanzania and Kenya. But few migratory birds cross the equator. Among the wintering sites include Egypt and occasionally the Mediterranean region.
Nutrition
The Ringed Plover feeds on worms, spiders, insects, larvae and molluscs or other tight living below the soil surface animals. He seeks his food usually in shallow, muddy shore area of freshwater. Unlike the sand plover he is seen very rarely on the coast. The food is picked from the water surface or the ground.
Reproduction
The breeding season extends from April to July. The nest is a depression in the ground and is covered with plant parts and other materials. It is found on open ground or in low vegetation and is seldom far from water. Often small islands are used in a lake or river as Niststandort. During courtship, the male creates several shallow wells, of which the female then selects as a nest.
The female lays four eggs, which are well camouflaged by their color pattern. The shell color is stone gray to off-white with small brown spots and dotting. Incubation period is 24-25 days. At the breeding birds both parents are involved. In grave danger, parents lure through a behavior called enticing the attacker in a different direction and try to protect their young.
Central European breeding pairs often draw large two broods.
Stock
The European inventory of river plovers took towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century significantly. Responsible for this was probably mainly a climate change. The numerous, very rainy summer this year reduced the possible Niststandorte due to increased water levels. Since the 1930s, both the European inventory as well as the increasing prevalence, for which perhaps a couple dry summer was responsible. Towards the end of the 20th century increased mainly gravel quarrying, the number of possible Niststandorte.
The total European population is estimated at the beginning of the 21st century to about 110.00 to 240,000 breeding pairs. European countries with a stock of more than 5,000 breeding pairs are Russia (European part ), Belarus, Ukraine, France and Germany. Ringed Plover breed in all Central European countries, where they occur only exceptionally in the central mountain areas and the Alps and not exceed altitudes of more than 800-900 meters above sea level. The Central European total population is estimated at about 13000-19500 breeding birds. In Germany hatched at the beginning of the 21st century 4300-6800 breeding pairs. Germany has so among all the countries of Central Europe to the highest breeding pair inventory.
Others
The Ringed Plover was bird of the year 1993.