Sergey Dereliev

Small plover with large breeding range including all of Europe N to Arctic circle. Migratory, some S island populations resident. Breeds on bare or sparsely vegetated shores of freshwater lakes and rivers, frequently artificial and temporary habitats, also agricultural ponds (Guilherme et al. 2019). Diet mainly insects, also small crustaceans, mussels, worms and snails. European population estimated at 134,000-262,000 breeding pairs, decreasing.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendDecreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		425000-634000,513000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Little Ringed Plover

NW and W European birds moving SSW to SSE to winter in W half of Africa, either crossing in Spain or Italy. C European birds show large spread in sub-Saharan wintering sites, moving SW to W Africa, S to Nigeria and Chad, or SE to S Sudan. 1 bird from Germany connects to N Iran, SE migration from Germany believed to be a novel phenomenon (Hein& Reiser 2000). Birds from N Europe show even larger spread, with little connectivity; birds from S Sweden connect both to India and W Africa, birds from Finland mainly towards SE. Few African recoveries, but Swedish geolocator study points to wintering sites just N and just S of Sahara and confirmed wintering by some birds in India (Hedenström et al 2013).

Recoveries by Condition for Little Ringed Plover

More than 40% are ringing recoveries, occurring evenly throughout range. Another 17% are birds identified by other means, i.e. rings being read in the field. Unlike other species, both categories already common pre-1960. Shot birds represent 18%, most occur in Italy and S France, nearly all before 1990. Remainder are birds found dead, occurring throughout entire range.

Annual Movements for Little Ringed Plover

Hardly any birds in Europe in Nov-Feb, first birds S Spain in Feb, Italy Mar. By end Mar birds arrive in France, low countries, Germany, British Isles, bulk arriving mid Apr. First birds appear in Fennoscandia mid Apr. No recoveries in Africa from end Apr through to mid Sep. High densities concentrated in Netherlands, Schleswig-Holstein, S Finland and S and E Germany from end May through begin Jul. Scattered in Europe in Aug, Finland vacated begin Sep and scarce elsewhere in Europe. Rapid decline through Sep, most birds gone by mid Oct, few left Italy.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Little Ringed Plover

Birds from British Isles in May-Jul connect to Belgium, France, Iberia and Tunisia mainly in Aug, and to W Africa Oct-Apr. Birds in other months only show local movements. I W Europe, arriving birds in Mar-Apr connect to S France and Italy in Mar or Aug, birds during breeding May-Jul to France, Spain, Morocco in Sep, Italy Oct or Mar, few Hungary and Slovenia in Aug. Many passing birds in Aug from British Isles and Germany. Few birds in N Europe in Apr-May show local movements Apr-Jul, in Jun-Sep birds connect to C and SE Europe in Aug and scattered wintering sites in Africa and India Oct-Mar. Most birds in C Europe ringed in Schleswig-Holstein (Hein& Reiser 2000) in May-Jul, connecting to S France Aug-Sep, Italy Mar and scattered in Africa and Iran Sep-Mar.

Henk van der Jeugd

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
Guilherme, J.K., Rocha, A., Lousa, H., Alves, J.A.2019 . Are artificial agricultural ponds a suitable alternative nesting habitat for the Little Ringed Plover?. Avian Biology Research 12: 133–138
Hedenström, A., Klaassen, R.H.G., Åkesson, S.2013 . Migration of the Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius breeding in South Sweden tracked by geolocators. Bird Study 60 Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2013.843635) : 466–474
Hein, K., Reiser, K.H.2000 . Der Flußregenpfeifer (Charadrius dubius) in Schleswig-Holstein — Verbreitung, Brutbiologie, Wanderungen. Corax 18: 181–204

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