This attractive small wading bird is a relatively new addition to the British breeding avifauna, first recorded nesting here in 1938.
Little Ringed Plovers are summer visitors to Britain, sometimes arriving as early as mid-March. Originally associated with gravel workings in central England, they have now colonised seasonally wet areas across the post-industrial landscapes of the north-west. In Wales and Scotland, new colonists use river gravels for nesting.
Easily confused with its commoner coastal cousin, the Ringed Plover, this species prefers fresh water. It is a daintier bird, has more subtle colours and lacks a white wing-bar when seen in flight. A good close view reveals the diagnostic yellow eye-ring.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Little Ringed Plover
A handsome little wader, with dapper plumage, runs along in front of you, pausing to daintily pick up morsels of food as it goes. Is this a Ringed Plover, or its less common summer-visiting cousin the Little Ringed Plover? This video workshop will guide you towards the most important differences between these two similar species to enable you to confidently tell them apart.
Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Little Ringed Plover, provided by xeno-canto contributors.
Call
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The first recorded breeding in the UK occurred in Hertfordshire in 1938 (Conway et al. 2019) and a count of at least 467 pairs was made in 1973 (Parrinder & Parrinder 1975). The last national survey was carried out in 2007 and produced a population estimate of 1,239 (1,175–1,311) pairs, with both the population and the range increasing considerably since 1984 (Conway et al. 2019). Although based on incomplete information, more recent RBBP data suggest that numbers have remained stable in the 15 years to 2019 (Eaton et al. 2021).
The breeding range of the Little Ringed Plover is centred on northern central and southeast England but the species also breeds sparsely in Wales and the lowlands of central and eastern Scotland. It is a rare new colonist in Ireland.
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Little Ringed Plovers are summer visitors, arriving from March onwards.
Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells) and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
An overview of year-round movements for the whole of Europe can be seen on the EuroBirdPortal viewer.
Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland
Encountered in:
Winter (Nov-Feb); Spring (Mar-Apr); Summer (May-Jul); Autumn (Aug-Oct)
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Little Ringed Plover, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
This species has been increasing north and west Europe since the 1960s, with climate change and habitat availability suggested as possible drivers of change (Snow & Perrins 1998). Newly created gravel pits continue to be an important habitat for this species (Conway et al. 2019).
LIRPL 
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