Photo: Silvio Hesse
Plovers are often not immediately visible. Many plovers are relatively small compared to other shorebirds, and their coloring sometimes makes them blend in almost perfectly with the beach. You might have to look twice to even notice them. But then it's all the more joyful when you can observe them, for example, foraging on the beach.
Photo: Silvio Hesse
Quick Movements on the Beach
They diligently walk along various spots near the water with their rather short legs, often stopping suddenly, observing, and then quickly moving on. They are usually searching for food such as worms, crabs, insects, and other invertebrates.
Photo: Silvio Hesse
Plovers on the North and Baltic Seas
Plovers belong to the family Charadriidae. Worldwide, there are about 60–70 species. Their distribution is concentrated mainly in coastal areas, wetlands, and open landscapes.
On the North and Baltic Sea coasts, you can find, for example:
- Ringed Plover (seen in the photos here)
- Kentish Plover
- Little Ringed Plover
Plovers can be found here from spring to autumn. They spend the winter in warmer regions such as Southern and Western Europe or Africa, with different species moving to different wintering grounds, which can also be inland.
These birds build their nests in depressions on the ground – the Ringed Plover even directly on the beach. If you overlook it and get too close to its nest, you will most likely notice it eventually due to its courageous defense of its nest.
Photo: Silvio Hesse
