Black-bellied Plover

Pluvialis squatarola

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
FamilyCharadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)
GenusPluvialis (Golden Plovers and Grey Plover)
SpeciesPluvialis squatarola (Black-bellied Plover)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Raja Ampat

3 Verified sightings at Raja Ampat From 2019 to 2026

16,992 Verified sightings across all 96 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Black-bellied Plover

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. The grey plover was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Tringa squatarola. 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:

P. s. squatarola (Linnaeus, 1758) – breeds in north Eurasia and Alaska; non-breeding in west, south Europe, Africa, south, east Asia and Australasia and west Americas P. s. tomkovichi Engelmoer & Roselaar... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat

Pluvialis fulva

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Charadrius leschenaultii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Charadrius veredus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Actitis hypoleucos

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Thalasseus bergii

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Numenius phaeopus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Sterna hirundo

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Onychoprion anaethetus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Phalaropus lobatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Sterna sumatrana

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tringa brevipes

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Calidris tenuirostris

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~50%
2	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	~50%
3	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
4	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~40%
5	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~30%
6	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
7	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
8	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~20%
9	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
10	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	~20%
11	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
12	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
13	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
14	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
15	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~10%
16	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
17	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
18	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
19	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
20	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~10%
21	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~10%
22	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
23	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
24	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
25	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
26	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~10%
27	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
28	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
29	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
30	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
31	Ningaloo Marine Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
32	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	<5%
33	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	<5%
34	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
35	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
36	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
37	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
38	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
39	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
40	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
41	Cape Range	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
42	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
43	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
44	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
45	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
46	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
47	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
48	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
49	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
50	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	<5%
52	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
53	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
54	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
55	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
56	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	<5%
57	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
58	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
59	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
60	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
61	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
62	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
63	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
64	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
65	Booderee National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
66	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
67	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
68	Great Otway National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
69	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
70	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
71	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
72	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
73	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
74	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
75	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
76	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	Insufficient data
77	Raja Ampat	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
78	Daintree National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
79	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
80	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
81	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	Insufficient data
82	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
83	Tangkoko Nature Reserve	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
84	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
85	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
86	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
87	Ranomafana National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	Insufficient data
88	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
89	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
90	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
91	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
92	Kakadu National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
93	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
94	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
95	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
96	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data

← Back to Raja Ampat

Black-bellied Plover

About the Black-bellied Plover

Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat

Pacific Golden-Plover

Greater Sandplover

Eastern Sand Plover

Common Sandpiper

Crested Tern

Whimbrel

Common Tern

Bridled Tern

Red-necked Phalarope

Black-naped Tern

Grey-tailed Tattler

Great Knot

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found