The long-billed plover is a species of wading bird in the family Charadriidae. It can be found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The long-billed plover is a migratory bird, so it breeds and spends the winter in different parts of its range. This bird can often be spotted along the shores of rivers, streams, in wetlands, and rice fields. It forages on the shoreline primarily for aquatic insects, insect larvae, and other invertebrates. It is difficult to distinguish between male and female individuals because of their similar plumage. The breeding season starts at the end of February or early March and ends in July. A male and a female forms a monogamous pair and maintains their territory throughout the breeding season. A global population survey in 2016 assessed the long-billed plover as a species of least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Region
East and Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds along clear, swift rivers with gravel or shingle bars in northeastern South Asia and East Asia, extending through China, Korea, and Japan. In the non-breeding season it disperses to lowland wetlands, estuaries, rice fields, and muddy margins across southern China, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and parts of mainland Southeast Asia. It is regularly found on open riverbanks, reservoir edges, and coastal flats, especially where substrates are pebbly or sandy. Outside the breeding period it also utilizes agricultural wetlands such as rice paddies and irrigation ponds.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This mid-sized plover favors shingle and gravel riverbeds, where it blends in remarkably well with its cryptic plumage. It is best separated from the similar Little Ringed Plover by its longer, darker bill and the lack of a bright yellow eye-ring. Pairs are typically monogamous in the breeding season and defend linear stretches of riverbank. Human disturbance and river engineering can reduce suitable breeding habitat.
A long-billed plover with its adult plumage
Adult male little-ringed plover with breeding plumage
Long-billed plover in its ideal habitat
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
strong flier with rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Breeding pairs establish territories along stretches of river, nesting in a shallow scrape on open gravel. Both sexes incubate and brood, and chicks are precocial and mobile soon after hatching. Outside the breeding season, individuals may occur singly or in small loose groups on feeding grounds.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are clear, whistled notes, often a plaintive two- to three-syllable call given in flight. Alarm calls are sharper, repeated whistles when disturbed near the nest.
