Species BirdsBlack-bellied Plover

Black-bellied Plover

Pluvialis squatarola

CommonBird
Illustration of Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

The Black-bellied Plover is the largest plover in North America and one of the most widely distributed shorebirds in the world, wintering on every continent except Antarctica. In breeding plumage its black face and belly are striking; in winter it becomes a plain gray bird. It has distinctive black 'armpits' — axillaries — visible in flight that are unique among golden-plovers.

Habitat
Arctic tundra in summer; mudflats, beaches, and fields in winter
Diet
Worms, mollusks, crustaceans, and insects
How common
Common

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