Grey plover

    Pluvialis squatarola

Castilian: Chorlito gris

Catalan: Pigre gris

Gallego: Píldora cincenta

Euskera: Txirri grisa

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Charadriiformes

Family: Charadriidae

Migratory status: Winter resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

The transformation of its nesting areas into farmland, the alteration of its habitat due to tourism (because of the increase in construction), industrialisation of inlets and coasts, and illegal hunting.

Length / size: 26-29 cm / 56-63 cm

Identification: Medium-sized bird with a short and strong bill. During mating season, the adult's face, throat, neck and belly are black, bordered by a white stripe that separates it from the back, which has a complex pattern of grey, black and white. Outside of mating season, its plumage returns to its brownish-grey colour.

Song: Quite noisy. In flight it makes a repetitive, fluty "pleeueeee" sound.

Diet: It feeds on insects and small invertebrates in its breeding area, but during the rest of the year it complements its diet with mollusks, crustaceans and worms. To capture its prey, it locates it by sight and, after a short run, catches it.

Reproduction: It begins in June and the bird breeds alone. The nest is made of rocks and scraps of plant matter, and is located in a depression in the ground, near wet areas and without any protection. The chicks move about and feed themselves shortly after being born.

HABITAT

It occupies wet areas that are vast and have wide sandy or pebbly beaches that are free of vegetation.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: When wintering, it is distributed along the Atlantic (Low Inlets, Bay of Cádiz, Guadalquivir and Odiel marshes) and Mediterranean (Ebro Delta) coasts.

In Castile and León: It is distributed throughout all the provinces, but Villafáfila (Zamora) is its principal location.

Movements and migrations: It is a strictly migratory species. Specimens arrive from Siberia and northern Europe in October, and in May they return to their breeding areas. The prenuptial passage along the Atlantic coasts has two peaks: in February-March and in April-May, corresponding with the wintering specimens that go to the peninsula and Africa.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 5600 wintering specimens.

In Castile and León: