Semipalmated Plover

Description:

These are small plovers with a short bill and yellow-orange legs. It has brown upperparts with white below and a single, dark breast band. The breast band, sides of head, and forecrown are black in breeding adults, and brown in non-breeding adults and juveniles. There were 9 or 10 in this flock.

Habitat:

Spotted on the beach at Griffiths-Priday State Park. During migration and in winter, Semipalmated Plovers inhabit coastal mudflats and exposed sandy beaches.

Notes:

On the coast, the plovers' diet consists of marine worms, crustaceans, and small mollusks. On breeding grounds and during migration inland, Semipalmated Plovers eat mostly insects.