Original photo series: Birds of California #16, Black-bellied Plover

Today, I share a couple photos I have taken of the Black-bellied Plover. First, here is a bird in basic or winter plumage. It is a drab gray. Actually, in most of the world the common English name of this species is Grey Plover, but here in the US it is called the Black-bellied Plover.

The Black-bellied Plover, Pluvialis squatarola, breeds in the Arctic and migrates to most coastal areas of the world for winter, including California, Australia, but does it go to Tasmania?

My second photo shows some of the black belly of this species' breeding plumage that gives it its name. Also, we see black in the face, and some speckling on the back. Occasionally we see partial breeding plumaged birds here in California during migration.