Black-bellied Plover Photo Gallery
Breeding male
Heavy-bodied shorebird with a short, thick neck and a stubby bill. Breeding males have a black belly and a mottled black-and-white back.
© Matt Davis / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 02, 2017Nonbreeding adult
Heavy-bodied shorebird with a short, thick neck and a stubby bill. Nonbreeding birds have variable amounts of brownish mottling on the back and a smudgy face and breast.
© Bridget Spencer / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 23, 2019Breeding male
Males and females equally share the responsibility of nest incubation, which usually lasts from the end of May to the end of June.
© Benjamin Clock / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 05, 2009Not all videos have soundJuvenile
Short-necked shorebird with a stubby bill. Juveniles have a crisply marked salt-and-pepper look to them with a streaked breast.
© Brendan Fogarty / Macaulay LibraryNew York, September 20, 2020Juvenile
In flight, all ages show distinctive black armpits. Note mostly white tail.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 31, 2020Nonbreeding adult
During the nonbreeding season on the Atlantic Coast, Black-bellied Plovers forage for larger prey items such as marine worms, bivalves, and shrimp.
© Benjamin Clock / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, January 24, 2009Not all videos have soundJuvenile
Juveniles have a salt and pepper look to them with a streaked breast.
© Petra Clayton / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, October 22, 2016Juvenile with Killdeer
Commonly forages on lake shores or flooded agricultural fields during migration.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew York, September 17, 2015Not all videos have soundNonbreeding adult
Heavy-bodied shorebird with a short, thick neck and a thick but stubby bill. Nonbreeding birds have variable amounts of brownish mottling on the back and a smudgy face and breast.
© Michael Warner / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, February 24, 2017Breeding male
Black-bellied Plovers perform distraction displays including running, faking wing injuries, and head bowing to draw a predator's attention toward themselves and away from the nest.
© Benjamin Clock / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 05, 2009Not all videos have soundHabitat
During migration and winter found on beaches, estuaries, lake margins, and flooded pastures.
© Ben Leff / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, March 26, 2017
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