(Part of the) common name of the majority of species of the family Charadriidae (suborder Charadrii of the Charadriiformes) and in the plural the general term for the family. Another term used often for birds in these group is 'lapwing' (also listed). Plovers are birds of small to medium size (15 to 38 cm long) which are thick-necked, compactly build and with a usually straight, moderately lengthened bill. They inhabit bare or thinly covered grounds, often near water, where they feed on small invertebrates and occasionally on plants. They have a cosmopolitan distribution and outside the breeding season they are normally highly gregarious. Common features of the plumage (except in Golden Plovers) are a white band on the upper hindneck (nuchal band) and a dark area or band on the breast (thoracic band).

Alternative forms for plovers : Arenaria, Charadrius, Hoplopterus, plover, Pluvialis.