Bird Guide

Hooded Plover vs Pied Plover

Hooded Plover (Thinornis cucullatus)

Hooded Plover

Thinornis cucullatus

Medium100 gCoastal

The hooded plover is medium in size for a plover, stocky, and pale in colour. Its length is 190 to 230 mm (7.5–9.1 in) and its wing-span 230 to 440 mm (9.1–17.3 in). It has a black hood and throat with a white collar. Its red bill has a black tip. It has a red eye ring and orange legs. Underparts are white. Males and females are similar. Adults and juveniles are similar except the juveniles do not have the black head and hindneck, which are instead a sandy brown.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
Pied Plover (Hoploxypterus cayanus)

Pied Plover

Hoploxypterus cayanus

Medium76 gRiverine

The pied plover is a strongly marked bird with a black and white pattern, buff on its back and wings, and white on its abdomen. Its eyes are encircled with bright red eye-rings. It has a prominent black V on its upper back and has long, red legs. It is a medium-sized bird like most of the species in the family Charadriidae, measuring around 22 centimeters. There is no sexual dimorphism in this species; both males and females look the same. Juveniles look similar, with the exception of them being more buff and the presence of buff eye-rings instead of red ones.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Arthur Chapman · CC BY 2.0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Hooded Plover and Pied Plover.