Kentish Plover: Sentinel of Coastal Health - A Vulnerable Avian Marker

Have you ever gone to a quiet and lonely beach, laid out your towel and heard a fairly soft “pit” combined with short trills and a plaintive upslurred “wheet” or “toeeet”? If so, it is very likely that you have an eye for the choice of the coast, because near you there could be the nest of a Kentish Plover, an indicator species of the FEE, the international organization for the blue flag.

Little shorebird of 15–17.5 cm for a weight of 32-56 g, with a wingspan of 42-45 cm. The Kentish Plover differs from most similar species by the white collar on its hindneck, black patches on the sides of its breast, black bar on its forecrown, black eyeline, and very variable rufous cap. The female has black areas replaced with brown to blackish brown and usually marginally smaller.

The wings vary from light to dark brown with some white parts. The underparts of body are white, while bill, legs and feet are black.

These small shorebirds often nest along the coasts, near the sand dunes, using shell fragments and small pebbles. The nests are almost invisible, perfectly camouflaged with the environment, both for the color of the eggs and for the plumage of the parent during the incubation.

The Kentish Plover is mainly migratory north of 40° N, and dispersive and resident to the south, e.g., in Arabia.

When inland, the Kentish Plover takes mainly insects, such as beetles and flies, as well as crustaceans, mollusks, and spiders. In brackish water and saltwater, it chiefly consumes crustaceans, polychaete worms, and mollusks.

The Kentish Plover is not globally threatened, but in recent years there has been a decline in some populations, mainly due to habitat loss and degradation. Their camouflage and defense mechanism against predators, unfortunately, often does not protect them from us humans who risk seriously disturbing them, increasingly reducing their range.