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Bird Identification

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Wilson’s Plover

Charadrius wilsonia L 7 ¾" (20cm)

Illustration by Julie Zickefoose

Listen to a Wilson's plover.

The Wilson’s plover is one of the widely distributed species of small plovers in North America that have a single breast band. The broad neck band is black in breeding males, brown in famales and winter males. The Wilson’s is dark above, it’s legs are grayish-pink, and the long, heavy bill is always all black.

You will most likely encounter the Wilson’s plover on barrier islands, sandy beaches, and mudflats. It is fairly common but declining, and has been recorded casually to California and the Maritimes and inland to the Great Lakes.

Its call is a sharp whistled whit. Grating or rasping noises in flight display or when agitated—jrrrrrid jrrrrrid.

This sound file requires RealPlayer. Bird song courtesy of Lang Elliott, NatureSound Studio.

Wading Birds

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