Semipalmated Plovers
Aug. 22nd, 2025 11:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pauraque posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
common_natureI spotted these cuties on the shore of Lake Champlain.
Semipalmated Plovers breed in Alaska and northern Canada, and winter on the sea coast in the lower US, the Caribbean, and South America. During migration they can be seen just about anywhere in North America.
They look like miniature versions of Killdeer, another widespread North American bird to which they are closely related. Besides being bigger, Killdeers are more commonly seen in urban settings away from water, and have two black breast bands instead of one. Both species will do a "broken wing" distraction display to draw predators (and humans) away from their nesting site.
"Semipalmated" means partially webbed feet, though it's unlikely that you'd see that in the field. You're more likely to notice their orange legs matching the bit of orange at the base of the bill.
Semipalmated Plovers breed in Alaska and northern Canada, and winter on the sea coast in the lower US, the Caribbean, and South America. During migration they can be seen just about anywhere in North America.
They look like miniature versions of Killdeer, another widespread North American bird to which they are closely related. Besides being bigger, Killdeers are more commonly seen in urban settings away from water, and have two black breast bands instead of one. Both species will do a "broken wing" distraction display to draw predators (and humans) away from their nesting site.
"Semipalmated" means partially webbed feet, though it's unlikely that you'd see that in the field. You're more likely to notice their orange legs matching the bit of orange at the base of the bill.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-22 04:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 02:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-22 04:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-22 06:14 pm (UTC)P.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-22 08:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 02:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-22 09:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-22 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 02:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-22 11:04 pm (UTC)Ooh, I've seen these IRL!! So that's what they're called.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 02:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-23 04:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-27 06:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-27 04:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-27 06:15 pm (UTC)