The grey plover or black-bellied plover (Pluvialis squatarola) is a large plover breeding in Arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when not breeding. It is now placed with three other plovers in the genus Pluvialis that was introduced by the French ornithologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia, "rain". It was believed that they flocked when rain was imminent. The species name squatarola is a Latinised version of Sgatarola, a Venetian name for some kind of plover.

The English common name used for this species differs in different parts of the world. It is generally known as "grey plover" in the Old World and "black-bellied plover" in the New World.

Three subspecies are recognised: It is less gregarious than the other Pluvialis species, not forming dense feeding flocks, instead feeding widely dispersed over beaches, with birds well spaced apart. They will however form dense flocks on high tide roosts.

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Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) W IMG 6950.jpg|Bird at Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India

Pluvialis squatarola.jpg|Adult in winter plumage

Pluvialis squatarola MHNT.jpg|Pluvialis squatarola egg

Pluvialis squaterola jcwf3.jpg|Bird in first-winter plumage; inset, in flight, showing the black axillaries and white rump and barred tail

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References

  • Black-bellied plover at Animal Diversity Web
  • Grey plover species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
  • Black-bellied Plover Species Account – Cornell Lab of Ornithology