Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
- 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)
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 →
Recent sightings of Black-bellied Plover in Tortuguero National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Tortuguero National Park
Semipalmated Plover
Charadrius semipalmatus
Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Northern Jacana
Jacana spinosa
Hudsonian Whimbrel
Numenius hudsonicus
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Sanderling
Calidris alba
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-bellied Plover in Tortuguero National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bellied Plover sighting in Tortuguero National Park, based on 122 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black-bellied Plover in Tortuguero National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Black-bellied Plover in Tortuguero National Park in our monthly data.