Ringed Plover
What they like
Open, bare patches of ground. Beach, shell banks, reclaimed sites, sandy fields. With good visibility, little tall grass and quiet. So leave a corner “messily empty” sometimes: sparse, short, open. In a park or yard: make a sandy play spot, not a thick layer of wood chips—do use some shell grit or coarse sand. At watersides: not a neat embankment everywhere; rather a gentle slope with a bit of bare edge.Feeds mainly on insects, worms and small crustaceans. For that it needs moist, unsprayed soil and a ragged edge.
Ecological importance
Small cleaner of beach and shore. Keeps insect populations in balance and is itself food for raptors and fox. If the little ringed plover (bontbekplevier) is breeding, you know: there is still room here for nature and quiet.
When in the Netherlands
Mainly March–August as a breeding bird. Also a migrant, in spring and autumn.
Status
A breeding bird that struggles because of disturbance and the disappearance of bare, quiet spots. Peace and space make the difference.
The Sound of..
OH NOOOOO, what does the Ringed Plover sound like?! We don't have any good recordings of this cheerful whistler in our database yet. Do you know? Have you ever heard it? Or do you have a good recording of this species? Let us know and email: [email protected]
We keep refining this text. Missing something or is something not right? Mail [email protected] and help out. Together we'll smooth the feathers again.