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The snowy plover is a plump shorebird with a large head, a short and slender bill, and short neck and tail. It is a small plover, with adults ranging from 15 to 17 cm (5.9 to 6.7 in) in length, from 34 to 43.2 cm (13.4 to 17.0 in) in wingspan, and from 40 to 43 g (1.4 to 1.5 oz) in weight. Its body is typically held horizontally. Compared to other plovers, its legs are relatively long and its wings short. The bill is black, the iris dark brown, and the legs gray to black. Voice: The typical call is a repeated "tu-wheet" given in a wide range of contexts. In males, these include advertisement while standing in territories and courtship. In both sexes, the call may be given in situations of threat, aggression, distress, and alarm. This call differs between sexes, being shorter, quieter, and hoarser in the female.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
About the Snowy Plover
The snowy plover is a small shorebird found in the Americas. It is a member of the bird family Charadriidae, which includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. The snowy plover was originally described by John Cassin in 1858, but was classified as a subspecies of the Kentish plover in 1922. Since 2011, the snowy plover has been recognized as a distinct species based on genetic and anatomical differences from the Kentish plover. Two or three subspecies are recognized, distributed along the Pacific coast of North America, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, in several inland areas of the US and Mexico, along the Gulf Coast, and on Caribbean islands.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Mountain PloverAnarhynchus montanusThe word plover came from a Latin word pluvia which means "rain".
White-fronted PloverAnarhynchus marginatusThe average white-fronted plover weighs approximately 45-50 g, and the two sexes differ slightly in plumage coloration.
Malaysian PloverAnarhynchus peroniiThe Malaysian plover is 15 cm (5.9 in) in length.
Side by side: Snowy Plover vs White-fronted Plover · Malaysian Plover vs Snowy Plover
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