Scientific name: Charadrius dubius Scopoli, 1786
Bird group: Waders
Field characters. 15 cm. Resembles Great Ringed Plover, but smaller and slighter. Best field characters are absence of white wing-bar in flight and distinct note. Legs flesh or yellow (not orange). Distinct black and white head pattern with narrow white line above black band on forecrown and behind eye; black chest-ring complete, narrow on lower neck and somewhat wider on chest. At short range yellow orbital ring is visible. Juvenile with incomplete, brown chest-band; head with sandy-brown hood and whitish patch on forehead.
Voice. Ordinary note and flight-call is a whistling "pee-u"; song is trill recalling that of Great Ringed Plover but less varied and mainly a repeated "gree-a, gree-a, gree-a".
Distribution. Summer visitor; not common.
Habitat. Prefers the vicinity of fresh water, exploiting sand and gravel banks on rivers or borders of lakes, mouths of rivers, gravel pits, recently reclaimed areas, industrial wastelands, etc.
Food. Takes insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates from or just below surface of water, or from wet ground; also freshwater shrimps, worms, molluscs, and seeds of grasses.