Читать книгу Birds of New Hampshire & Vermont Field Guide - Stan Tekiela - Страница 37

winter

breeding

Black-bellied Plover

Pluvialis squatarola

MIGRATION

WINTER

Size:	11-12" (28-30 cm)
Male:	Striking black and white breeding plumage. Black belly, chest, sides, face and neck. White cap, nape of neck and belly near tail. Black legs and bill.
Female:	less black on belly and chest than male
Juvenile:	grayer than adults, with much less black
Nest:	ground; male and female construct; 1 brood per year
Eggs:	3-4; pinkish or greenish, marked with blackish brown splotches
Incubation:	26-27 days; male and female incubate, male incubates during the day, female at night
Fledging:	35-45 days; male feeds young, young learn quickly to feed themselves
Migration:	complete, to southeastern New Hampshire, southern states, the Gulf Coast, West Indies, Mexico and Central and South America
Food:	insects
Compare:	A distinctive bird. Look for a black face, chest and belly, and a white cap and nape of neck.

Stan’s Notes: Male performs “butterfly” courtship flights to attract females. Female leaves the male and young about 12 days after the eggs hatch. Begins breeding at 3 years of age. A winter resident along coastal New Hampshire and a migrator, seen across New Hampshire and Vermont. During flight, in any plumage, displays a white rump and stripe on the wings with black axillaries (armpits). Often darts across the ground to grab an insect and run.