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Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) German name(s): "Seeregenpfeifer" Size: 15-17 cm; wing span 43-45 cm Body mass: 40-44 g

Europe: Family Group 9 Family Group 9 Table Red Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope Eurasian Stone-curlew Black-winged Stilt Pied Avocet Collared Pratincole Eurasian Oystercatcher Common Ringed Plover Little Ringed Plover Kentish Plover Grey Plover European Golden Plover Eurasian Dotterel Sociable Lapwing Northern Lapwing Spur-winged Lapwing Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Kentish Plovers are very small waders. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e., at least during the breeding season, males and females are slightly different. Breeding males, except for narrow black breast side patches, have an all-white front, from frons to undertail coverts. The neck has a complete white collar band, while the cap is black above the frons, brownish-grey at the top and rufous on the hindneck. Below the collar band, the rest of the back, including the folded upperwings, is brownish-grey. When visible, the uppertail shows white sides and a black centre. The primaries and the trailing edge of the wings are black, with a broad white wing bar near the trailing edge. Breeding females have brownish-grey breast side patches, cap and sides of the head, with a thin buff stripe behind each eye. Otherwise they resemble males. In eclipse the two sexes look alike, with less white on the collar and forehead than females during the breeding season. The irises of both sexes are dark. The black bill is slender; legs and feet are dark-grey to black. Juveniles have less conspicuous breast side patches than adults and their legs can be grey to greenish.

Taxonomy, classification See Kentish Plover at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Kentish Plover is available HERE . Kentish Plovers are a partly migratory, partly sendentary species that populates primarily parts of Africa and Eurasia. There are 3 extant races: nominate race "alexandrinus", "seebohmi" and "dealbatus". Their overall range extends from the islands of the eastern North Atlantic (Azores, Capeverdian Islands) in the West to Japan in the East. At subtropical latitudes they are primarily sedentary along the coastlines within that range, but they are also found in inland areas. In the South their range encompasses northern Africa around the Sahara desert, the Arabian peninsula, much of the Indian subcontinent and basically all coastlines of far south-eastern Asia. In the North of their range they are breeding migrants, along the (north-)western European coastlines and throughout central Asia and parts of Japan. For details see e.g. Wikipedia . In Europe Kentish Plovers are sedentary along the coastlines from the northern side of Bretagne down to Iberia and along the Mediterranean coastline, including all islands, up to the Bosporus, continuing along the western coastline of the Black Sea. Especially in Italy there are also areas where they stay only during the breeding season. Northward of Bretagne, along the Benelux coast up to Denmark, along the North coast of the Black Sea and around the Caspian Sea, and along parts of the Danube river they are breeding migrants. Around south-eastern England and along the Gulf of Biscaye, including northern Iberia, they are primarily found on migration. During the breeding season Kentish Plovers have a preference for mudflats or sparsely vegetated areas in both coastal wetlands and around fresh water. Outside the breeding season they are a predominantly coastal species.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "alexandrinus" J. Pires reports finding Kentish Plovers, nominate race "alexandrinus", semi-regularly in the area from the Tejo estuary to Mora, Evora, Portugal. G. Pinelas reports finding Kentish Plovers, nominate race "alexandrinus", at Alges, Lisbon, Portugal, in May 2017. A Kentish Plover, nominate race "alexandrinus"(?), was also found in Australia.

Photos

Race "alexandrinus"

ADULT

PAIR

Near-frontal view of a pair of Kentish Plovers in breeding plumage
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Note the male's, at far right, more conspicuous facial mask compared to the female's
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, March 2018]

Near-frontal/near-dorsal view of a pair of Kentish Plovers in breeding plumage; male at front left, female at back right
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

MALE

BREEDING

Frontal view of a resting male Kentish Plover in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mondego river estuary, Murraceira island, Figueira da Foz, Portugal, April 2024]

Frontal view of a male Kentish Plover in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Near-frontal view of a male Kentish Plover in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Alges, Lisbon, Portugal, May 2017]

Near-lateral view of a male Kentish Plover in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Alges, Lisbon, Portugal, May 2017]

Lateral view of a male Kentish Plover in breeding plumage; note the rufous hindneck (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Alges, Lisbon, Portugal, May 2017]

Lateral view of a male Kentish Plover in breeding plumage, different posture (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Alges, Lisbon, Portugal, May 2017]

This male Kentish Plover in breeding plumage looks like it's been to a jewelers... (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a male Kentish Plover in breeding plumage; note the rufous hindneck (photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Alges, Lisbon, Portugal, May 2017]

Near-lateral view of Kentish Plovers in breeding plumage, together with Common Ringed Plovers and other waders
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, March 2018]

Direct comparison between a male Kentish Plover and a male Little Ringed Plover, both in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Alges, Lisbon, Portugal, May 2017]

FEMALE

BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a female Kentish Plover in breeding plumage (note the wide white collar and frons) together with a non-breeding Common Ringed Plover
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo Estuary Nature Reserve, Portugal, March 2018]

Lateral view of a female Kentish Plover in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

Sex unknown

Lateral view of two Kentish Plovers in breeding(?) plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

NON-BREEDING

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Foz do Rio Trancao, Loure, Lisbon, Portugal, February 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal de Alhos Vedros, Moita, Setubal, Portugal, July 2020]

Dorsal view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sapal de Alhos Vedros, Moita, Setubal, Portugal, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage banking sharply (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage, at the back, with a Little Stint in non-breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Moita do Ribatejo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2019]

More photos of a Kentish Plover, nominate race "alexandrinus"(?), in non-breeding plumage are available from Australia.

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Partially migratory

Elementary unit: Pair/flock

Around parts of the Mediterranean and the western coast of Iberia and Bretagne Kentish Plovers are sedentary. Elsewhere they are migratory, overwintering in the southern parts of their range and extending their breeding range in summer to the Dutch/German North Sea coastline and into south-eastern Europe (Danube delta, Black Sea, Caspian Sea).

Food, Diet

Male Kentish Plover in breeding plumage foraging along the edge of fresh water (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Tejo estuary, Portugal, March 2019]

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