The Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) is a large plover that breeds in Arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant, with a nearly worldwide coastal distribution when in its non-breeding state. This bird may be better known as the Black-Bellied Plover to birders in the Americas. The name Black-Bellied is only really descriptive when the birds are in breeding plumage.
These birds were photographed at Cayo Coco on the north coast of Cuba - so they are in their non-breeding plumage.
You can see a bird extracting a long, thin, red worm from the sand. The worm snapped as the bird was pulling and the 'bird-end' of the worm coiled around its beak. Once it had snapped, it no longer looked like a decent meal!
I have to say that the heat haze on this day was rather bad - but it was great to see these birds.
As ever, to join in with WBW click on the link below. SM
It’s Grey Plover in my world. Why we choose names that are at variance with the rest of the world baffles me. And the Gulf of Mexico is still the Gulf of Mexico, and Mount Denali remains the tallest mountain in Alaska.
ReplyDeleteI brought a Brazilian Cardinal today. Thank you, Stewart Aloha!
ReplyDeleteI love these guys! And they are just stunning when in breeding plumage.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteCute by whatever name! YAM xx
What an interesting moment to capture!
ReplyDeleteInteresting capture of action, well done.
ReplyDeleteI guess he wasn't too hungry?? A half a worm should be better than no worm...Great shots Stewart.
ReplyDeleteSo good to see them in the wild
ReplyDeleteHello!! Very nice pictures...
ReplyDeleteI love the last shot and also the picture of the two plovers walking together.
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