Day 203: Black-bellied Plover

The Black-bellied Plover is a medium-sized bird that breeds in arctic regions. It is a long-distance migrant and can be found worldwide in coastal regions when not breeding. In North America, this species goes by the name of the Black-bellied Plover. In other parts of the world, it is called the Grey Plover.

In spring and summer, adult Black-bellied Plovers have a black face, neck, and breast with a white border. During the fall, they molt to plain grey plumage, as you can see below. We saw this Black-bellied Plover on Maryland's eastern shore.