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plover

plover

6 8.1
A small to medium bird with a short straight beak that walks in shallow water on shores
  • noun
  • /ˈploʊvər/
translation icon : chorlito
  • American golden plover.
  • Kentish plover
  • piping plover
  • golden plover

I switched the amber hue of lager on my tongue and ponder the drilling rigs in the Gulf of Alaska and all the oil painted plovers.

Examples

  • The swallow may fly south with the sun, or the house martin or the plover may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land.

  • To find out how Kentish plover parents resolve this conflict, we need to observe families for weeks.

    Academic text (2006)
  • PHOTO: The American golden plover winters on South American grasslands.

    Academic text (1992)
  • We often concentrate our observations on piping plovers because they are endangered and their numbers have dropped drastically.

    Academic text (1994)
  • PHOTO: A piping plover nesting on the New Jersey shore relies on shell-strewn sand for camouflage.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Nestled in the protective beach grass, a piping plover incubates four mottled tan-and-black eggs.

    Academic text (1994)
  • New bird species included robins, wrens, plovers, sandpipers, cranes, and Lapland longspurs, as well as some sightings of parakeets.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The piping plover is often seen running along the shoreline searching for small invertebrates.

  • During spring, the plover returns to the sandy beaches to breed and lay its eggs.

  • Conservation efforts have focused on protecting the habitat of the endangered plover species.

Synonyms

shorebird
vsplover
3 3.7

A bird that lives by the sea and searches mud or sand for food

is a specific small to medium species with long pointed wings and short bill
limicoline bird
vsplover
  • Specialized
9.9

A bird that walks in shallow water at the sea edge to find food

is a specific small to medium species with a short straight bill

Compounds

1 9.9

A small pale bird that lives on sandy beaches and makes a soft whistled call

A medium-sized North American bird with a loud, repeating cry that lives near ponds and fields

A medium-sized water bird with golden yellow spots on its back

8.9

A large crested bird that lives in wet areas and eats insects

stilt plover
  • Australian
9.9

A long-legged black and white bird that walks in shallow water in ponds or marshes

9.9

A large brown bird with long legs that lives in open North American fields

Surface Forms

plover singular
plovers plural

Etymology

Plover comes from Old French pluvier, which comes from Latin pluvia 'rain'. People probably saw these birds near wet shores or before rain, so the name helps you remember that a plover is a shore bird often found in wet places.