Charadrius vociferus vociferus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Vernacular names
English : Kildeer
French : Gravelot kildir

Classification
Class : Aves
Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Charadriidae
Notes : 2 other subspecies known

Identification
Adults can reach up to 28 cm in length for a weight of 121 g. Most of head, back, wings and tail brown. White forehead, throat, breast and belly. Two black bands on breast. Red eye-ring. Fairly long black bill. Subspecies with browner upperparts and rufous fringes not as reddish as South American subspecies.

Range and habitat
The species breeds from Alaska and most of Canada to South Mexico. Winters in most of Central America, Colombia and northern Venezuela. Subspecies occurs in North America and winters in central America. Lives in open fields and flat areas, sometimes plantations, near or far water.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species remains very common throughout its large range but local declines have been noted in north USA and Canada because of over-hunting.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

Back to “Snipes, sandpipers, plovers and relatives” page