Charadrius hiaticula
The Common Ringed Plover is a summer visitor to South Africa, migrating to our country and much of sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Mediterranean from their arctic breeding grounds. Most of the birds move to the coast, where they prefer the muddy banks of estuaries and lagoons as well as rocky shores,with a lesser number overwintering at our inland water bodies – dams, marshes and even sewerage works. The first birds arrive from September, with the last ones departing by early May. A handful of individuals, perhaps those too weak to make the long distance journey, remain behind throughout our winter. They feed on small crustaceans and other aquatic and water-associated invertebrates.
The IUCN considers the Common Ringed Plover to be of least concern. It is estimated that the adult population worldwide may be as high as 1,4-million, of which as many as 10,000 arrive in southern Africa annually, from places as far afield as Siberia, 18,000km distant, and a remarkable feat for a bird so small! Adults measure about 19cm long, and weigh around 50g.
de Wets Wild 
They went a long way to pose for you!! 😉
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And we’re so grateful that they did!
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These guys remind me of my killdeer birds (Charadrius, sometimes Oxyechus, vociferus). Love their colors!
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They can easily be confused for twins, the Common Ringed Plover and Killdeer!
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Such a sweet little bird. Bird migrations never cease to amaze and astonish me – truly stranger and more awesome than fiction!
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To think of the enormous machines humans had to build to achieve what these little birds have been doing for millennia!
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I love that lead photo.
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Very kind of you, thanks P J B!
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That’s sure a cute one!
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They definitely are, always busily looking for something to peck up!
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Dis sulke skatlike voëltjies om dop te hou langs die water. Pragtige foto’s, Dries!
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Baie dankie, Dina. Ons het hulle nog nooit in sulke getalle gesien as by Umlalazi in Desember nie, was voor dit altyd maar gewoond aan een-een of twee-twee op n plek sien.
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Ah, that’s one I’m familiar with (or was, before traveling to New Zealand). Like you and Takami, I’m in awe with these long-distance travellers… godwits from Alaska fly non-stop to New Zealand in autumn, 11000km in one go 😮
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Birds like these are the real world travellers! I think you have to fly from Anchorage to Auckland to really appreciate just what a feat it is to cover 11,000km nonstop!
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These waders are so beautiful and resilient! I can’t imagine how they can travel such distances (and the obstacles they endure) when migrating. I’m always so happy when they decided to stop by my country while on route to their next destination 🙂 All best wishes to you and your family 🙂
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It truly is mind-boggling, Takami, that a bird so small can travel such distances through such extremes in climate and environment on a regular basis!
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