Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius   [Scopoli, 1786]

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   Page updated:16-January-2013

Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae
BTO Codes: LP, LIRPL EURING No: 4690
Number in Britain: 1100 pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: GREEN
European: Not a species of concern
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Migrant Breeder, Passage Visitor
Subspecies: curonicus recorded in Britain (of 3 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 14 cm Wingspan: 45 cm Weight: M/F: 40 g    
Scientific name from: Gr.: kharadra=a ravine and L.: dubius=uncertain
World Distribution: BREEDS: Europe, n Africa, Asia, WINTERS: c Africa, n Australia
Habitat: Sandy or rocky lakeshores, on migration mudflats
Diet: Insects, also spiders and other invertebrates, just below surface of wet ground
TitBit: Before the 1930s the Little Ringed Plover was a rare vagrant to Britain, but its liking for breeding in gravel pits and on the shores of man-made reservoirs has lead to a remarkable spread in abundance.  

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: Atlas Maps   
British Population Size:
    Summer: 1115 pairs in 2007
    First Record: Sussex, pre-1835
    First Breeding Record: Hertfordshire 1938
    Latest Survey: Conway, G.J. et al. (2008) UK population estimates from the 2007 breeding little ringed and ringed plover surveys BTO, Thetford
    Conservation Status: GREEN
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 GREEN     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern: curonicus GREEN
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
Migration routes: Map of foreign ringing recoveries
European Population Size:
    Summer: 70 to 115 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(I), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 30 x 22 mm Egg Weight: 6.6 g (of which . % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 77
Clutch Size: 4 eggs
Incubation: 24- 25 days   by the: Male + Female
Fledging: 25 - 27days as: Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 1/2
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.550       
Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 2 years Typical Lifespan: 4 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 6 years 8 months 14 days (set in 1984)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics

Ring Size: B2
Wing Length Adult: 119.2 ± 3.1     Range 111.0 - 127.0 mm, (N = 63)
Juvenile: 117.0 ± 3.3     Range 106.0 - 125.0 mm, (N = 85)
Male: 119.7 ± 3.5     Range 113.0 - 127.0 mm, (N = 23)
Female: 119.2 ± 2.9     Range 112.0 - 125.0 mm, (N = 32)
Weight Adult: 37.94 ± 2.51 Range 30.00 - 49.00 g , (N =58)
Juvenile: 38.0 ± 5.8 Range 27.5 - 53.0 . , (N =77)
Male: 36.83 ± 2.07 Range 33.60 - 42.00 g , (N =21)
Female: 37.99 ± 2.57 Range 30.00 - 45.00 g , (N =31)
Seasonal: Summer 37.80 ± 2.99 (N = 107)  
Source: British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names

Little Plover
Gaelic: Trìlleachan-tràghad-beag Welsh: Cwtiad Torchog Bach
Danish: Lille præstekrave Dutch: Kleine plevier
Finnish: Pikkutylli French: Petit Gravelot
German: Flußregenpfeifer Hungarian: Kis lile
Icelandic: Vatnalóa Irish: Feadóigín Chladaigh
Italian: Corriere piccolo Norwegian: Dverglo
Polish: Sieweczka rzeczna Portuguese: Borrelho-pequeno-de-coleira
Spanish: Chorlitejo chico Swedish: Mindre strandpipare

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
   Allsop, K. 1949 Adventure lit their star Latimer House, London
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead