The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They range in size from the Collared Plover, at 26 grams and 14 cm (5.5 inches), to the Masked Lapwing, at 368 grams (13 oz) and 35 cm (14 inches). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1574 × 1180 pixel, file size: 227 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Binomial name Charadrius alexandrinus (Linnaeus, 1758) Subspecies The Kentish Plover, Charadrius alexandrinus, is a small wader in the plover bird family. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Families Thinocoridae Pedionomidae Scolopacidae Rostratulidae Jacanidae Chionididae Burhinidae Haematopodidae Recurvirostridae Ibidorhynchidae Charadriidae Pluvianellidae Dromadidae Glareolidae Stercorariidae Rhynchopidae Laridae Sternidae Alcidae Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. ... Nicholas Aylward Vigors (1785 – October 26, 1840) was an Irish zoologist and politician. ... Genera  Erthrogonys  Vanellus Lapwings are medium-sized wading birds belonging to the subfamily Vanellinae of the family Charadriidae, which also includes the plovers and dotterels. ... Binomial name Gould, 1838 The Red-kneed Dotterel, Erythrogonys cinctus, is a long-legged, medium-sized (length 17-20 cm, wingspan 33-38 cm, weight 40-55 g) plover in a monotypic genus in the subfamily Vanellinae. ... Genera  Erthrogonys  Vanellus Lapwings are medium-sized wading birds belonging to the subfamily Vanellinae of the family Charadriidae, which also includes the plovers and dotterels. ... Genera Pluvialis Charadrius Thinornis Elseyornis Peltohyas Anarhynchus Phegornis Oreopholus Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. ... Genera Pluvialis Charadrius Thinornis Elseyornis Peltohyas Anarhynchus Phegornis Oreopholus Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. ... Genera Pluvialis Charadrius Thinornis Elseyornis Peltohyas Anarhynchus Phegornis Oreopholus Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. ... Binomial name (Gmelin, 1789) The Shore Plover (Thinornis novaeseelandiae) is a small species (20 cm in length, 60g)[1] of Plover endemic to New Zealand. ... Binomial name Elseyornis melanops (Vieillot, 1818) The Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops) is a small, slender plover, widespread throughout most of Australia and New Zealand. ... Binomial name Gould, 1841 The Inland Dotterel , Charadrius australis , also known as the Australian Dotterel and sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Peltohyas, is a medium-sized Charadriine plover. ... Binomial name Quoy and Gaimard, 1830 The Wrybill or Ngutuparore (Māori) Anarhynchus frontalis is a species of plover endemic to New Zealand[1]. It is unique in that it is the only species of bird in the world with a beak that is bent sideways (to the right). ... Binomial name (Fraser, 1845) The Diademed Sandpiper-plover (Phegornis mitchellii) is a species of bird in the Charadriidae family. ... Binomial name (Wagler, 1829) Synonyms Eudromias ruficollis (Wagler, 1829) The Tawny-throated Dotterel (Oreopholus ruficollis) is a species of bird in the Charadriidae family. ... Genera Pluvialis Charadrius Thinornis Elseyornis Peltohyas Anarhynchus Phegornis Oreopholus Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. ... Binomial name Charadrius morinellus Linnaeus, 1758 The Eurasian Dotterel (Charadrius morinellus), or in Europe just Dotterel, is a small wader in the plover family of birds. ... Genera Erthrogonys Vanellus Lapwings are medium-sized wading birds belonging to the subfamily Vanellinae of the family Charadriidae, which also includes the plovers and dotterels. ... The hierarchy of scientific classification. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Charadrius collaris (Vieillot, 1818) The Collared Plover, Charadrius collaris, is a small wader in the plover bird family. ... Binomial name Vanellus miles (Boddaert, 1783) Subspecies The Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) (aka Tasmanian Plover) is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia, particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent. ...

They are distributed through open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions: the Inland Dotterel, for example, prefers stony ground in the deserts of central and western Australia. Binomial name Gould, 1841 The Inland Dotterel , Charadrius australis , also known as the Australian Dotterel and sometimes placed in the monotypic genus Peltohyas, is a medium-sized Charadriine plover. ...

They hunt by sight, rather than by feel as longer-billed waders like snipe do. Foods eaten include insects, worms or other invertebrates depending on habitat, and are usually obtained by a run-and-pause technique, rather than the steady probing of some other wader groups. For other uses, see Snipe (disambiguation). ...

Most members of the family are known as plovers, lapwings or dotterels. These were rather vague terms which were not applied with any great consistency in the past. In general, larger species have often been called lapwings, smaller species plovers or dotterels and there are in fact two clear taxonomic sub-groups: most lapwings belong to the subfamily Vanellinae, most plovers and dotterels to Charadriinae. Genera  Erthrogonys  Vanellus Lapwings are medium-sized wading birds belonging to the subfamily Vanellinae of the family Charadriidae, which also includes the plovers and dotterels. ... Genera Pluvialis Charadrius Thinornis Elseyornis Peltohyas Anarhynchus Phegornis Oreopholus Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. ...

The trend in recent years has been to rationalise the common names of the Charadriidae. For example, the large and very common Australian bird traditionally known as the ‘Spur-winged Plover’, is now the Masked Lapwing; the former ‘Sociable Plover’ is now the Sociable Lapwing. Binomial name Vanellus miles (Boddaert, 1783) Subspecies The Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) (aka Tasmanian Plover) is a large, common and conspicuous bird native to Australia, particularly the northern and eastern parts of the continent. ... Binomial name Vanellus gregarius (Pallas, 1771) The Sociable Lapwing or Sociable Plover (Vanellus gregarius) is a wader in the lapwing family of birds. ...

External links

• Charadriidae videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Charadriidae sounds on xeno-canto.org

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Charadriidae