plover
Short-billed shorebird
A plover is a short-billed shorebird with a compact body and round head, found worldwide on beaches, mudflats, and grasslands.
Plovers run in short bursts, then stop abruptly—a distinctive foraging style.
The killdeer is the most familiar North American plover, known for its broken-wing display to lure predators from its nest.
Coastal bird species
- waderShallow-water walker
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
- beakHorny avian mouthpart
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
wingspan · avian · flock · bill · foraging · insectivore · chicks · brood
Land-water boundary
- beachSandy waterside margin
- coastLand beside the ocean
- sandFine rock particles
- dunesWind-formed sand ridges
tidal · estuary · mudflat · intertidal · wetland · saltmarsh · sandbar · coastal
Obscure in meaning
- colorationSurface hue arrangement
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- blendCombine into mixture
- speckledDotted with small marks
mottled · disguise · adaptation · stealth · patterned · protective · ground-nesting · countershading
Reproductive cells in shells
- incubationDevelopment before emergence
- clutchMechanism linking engine to gearbox
- scrapeRub harshly against
- ground-nestingLaying eggs on land
chicks · hatchlings · fledglings · brood · territory · pairing · camouflaged · offspring
Movement to new territory
- flywayEstablished bird migration path
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- journeyTravel from place to place
- stopoverBrief halt mid-journey
wintering · breeding · navigation · passage · arctic · overwinter · flocking · southward
Reproductive cells in shells
- delicacyRefined sensitivity or rarity
- gourmetConnoisseur of fine cuisine
- foragedSought wild food
- traditionalFollowing long-held customs
shorebird
Coastal bird species
feathers · wingspan · avian · flock · bill · foraging · insectivore · chicks · brood · birder
shoreline
Land-water boundary
dunes · tidal · estuary · mudflat · intertidal · wetland · saltmarsh · sandbar · coastal · foreshore
cryptic
Obscure in meaning
- colorationSurface hue arrangement
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- blendCombine into mixture
speckled · mottled · disguise · adaptation · stealth · patterned · protective · ground-nesting · countershading
eggs
Reproductive cells in shells
- incubationDevelopment before emergence
- clutchMechanism linking engine to gearbox
- scrapeRub harshly against
ground-nesting · chicks · hatchlings · fledglings · brood · territory · pairing · camouflaged · offspring · laying
migration
Movement to new territory
- flywayEstablished bird migration path
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- journeyTravel from place to place
stopover · wintering · breeding · navigation · passage · arctic · overwinter · flocking · southward · northward
eggs
Reproductive cells in shells
traditional · seasonal · victorian · protected · banned · luxury
omen
Prophetic indicator
melancholy · lonesome · wild · coastal · evocative · romantic · naturalist
- New Zealand Naturekiwi, kakapo, tuatara, kaka, weta
- Ploverskilldeer, lapwing, dotterel
- shorebirdssandpiper, sandpipers, curlew, curlews, snipe
- birdsrobin, crow, eagle, owl, duck
- coastal wildlifepelican, grey seal, seagull, gull, sandpiper
- migrantsmigrants, arctic tern, monarch butterfly, caribou, humpback whale