What is "wilson's plover"

Plover \Plov"er\, n. [OF. plovier, F. pluvier, prop., the rain bird, fr. LL. (assumed) pluviarius, fr. L. pluvia rain, from pluere to rain; akin to E. float, G. fliessen to flow. See Float.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of limicoline birds belonging to the family Charadrid[ae], and especially those belonging to the subfamily Charadrins[ae]. They are prized as game birds.

2. (Zo["o]l.) Any grallatorial bird allied to, or resembling, the true plovers, as the crab plover ( Dromas ardeola); the American upland, plover ( Bartramia longicauda); and other species of sandpipers. Note: Among the more important species are the blackbellied plover or blackbreasted plover ( Charadrius squatarola) of America and Europe; -- called also gray plover, bull-head plover, Swiss plover, sea plover, and oxeye; the golden plover (see under Golden); the ring plover or ringed plover ( [AE]gialitis hiaticula). See Ringneck. The piping plover ( [AE]gialitis meloda); Wilson's plover ( [AE]gialitis Wilsonia); the mountain plover ( [AE]gialitis montana); and the semipalmated plover ( [AE]gialitis semipalmata), are all small American species. Bastard plover (Zo["o]l.), the lapwing. Long-legged plover, or yellow-legged plover. See Tattler. Plover's page, the dunlin. [Prov. Eng.] Rock plover, or Stone plover, the black-bellied plover. Whistling plover.

   1. The golden plover.

   2. The black-bellied plover.

The ''' Wilson's plover ' (Charadrius wilsonia'') is a small plover.

Wilson's plover is a coastal wader which breeds on both coasts of the Americas from the equator northwards. Its range extends north to include much of the U.S. eastern seaboard, and the Pacific coast of Mexico on the west.

It is a partial migrant. Birds leave the United States, except Florida, to winter south in Brazil. Some Mexican birds leave in winter for Peru. Furthermore, a small resident population is known from Brazil, it being named as a new subspecies, brasiliensis, in 2008. In 2012 it was established that this is a junior synonym, and the correct name for the subspecies is crassirostris. This also means that one of the subspecies of the greater sand plover had to be renamed.

This strictly coastal plover nests on a bare scrape on sandy beaches or sandbars.

This is a small plover at 17–20 cm. The adult's upper parts are mainly dark grey, with a short white wing bar and white tail sides. The underparts are white except for a breast band, and the legs are pink, brighter when breeding. The dark bill is large and heavy for a plover of this size. The call is a high weak whistle.

The breeding male has a black breast band, lores and forecrown, and a rufous mask. Females and non-breeding males have a similar plumage, but the black of the breeding male is replaced by brown or rufous. Non-breeders have a greyer tint to the head and breast band.

Immature birds are similar to the female, but the breast band is often incomplete.

Wilson's plovers forage for food on beaches, usually by sight, moving slowly across the beach. They have a liking for crabs, but will also eat insects and marine worms.

This bird was named after the Scottish-American ornithologist Alexander Wilson.