Black-bellied Plover

Pluvialis squatarola

Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic

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 Wilpattu National Park

2 Verified sightings at Wilpattu National Park From 2019 to 2026

12,974 Verified sightings across all 89 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 Wilpattu National Park

Pluvialis fulva

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Vanellus indicus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Vanellus malabaricus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Charadrius alexandrinus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Charadrius leschenaultii

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Himantopus himantopus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Chlidonias hybrida

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Esacus recurvirostris

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Tringa glareola

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Actitis hypoleucos

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Tringa stagnatilis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Hydrophasianus chirurgus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

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

← Back to Wilpattu National Park

Black-bellied Plover

About the Black-bellied Plover

Recent sightings of Black-bellied Plover in Wilpattu National Park

Closest Relatives at Wilpattu National Park

Pacific Golden-Plover

Red-wattled Lapwing

Yellow-wattled Lapwing

Kentish Plover

Greater Sandplover

Black-winged Stilt

Whiskered Tern

Great Thick-knee

Wood Sandpiper

Common Sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found