Grey Plover

The grey plover, or black-bellied plover, is a large plover, 27–30cm long with a wingspan of 71–83cm and a weight of 190–280g, rising to about 345g before migration. In summer adults are spangled black and white on the back and wings, with a black face, neck, breast and belly bordered white. In winter it is plain grey above with a grey-speckled breast and white belly. In every plumage the black armpit feathers at the base of the underwing separate it from the other golden plovers (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds on Arctic islands and coasts of Alaska, Canada and Russia, nesting in a shallow gravel scrape on dry, open tundra with good visibility. Usually four eggs are laid in early June and incubated for 26–27 days, and the chicks fledge at 35–45 days. It then migrates to winter on coasts throughout the world, including coastal southern Asia. In India it is a winter migrant with a moderate range. SoIB 2023 estimates a long-term decline of about 79% and a current fall of about 3% a year, and rates it a High conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).