Seeing Semipalmated Plovers at the Seashore

Here's a familiar shorebird friend, the Semipalmated Plover. Semipalmated Plovers are so named because of their partially webbed feet (semi = partly, palmate = webbed). Unfortunately , that's a feature you cannot see here because his feet are in the mud!


There are a lot of similar looking plovers in the world, but if you see one like this around here, chances are it's a semipalmated. Semipalmated plovers gave have a single, dark neck band in all plumages.


In breeding plumage the bill is distinctly black-tipped and orange-based, and a white dot is visible behind and above each eye.


In breeding plumage, the white forehead is surrounded by black. In non-breeding plumage, both the band and the head are brown instead of black, and the bill is more black than orange.