Pacific Golden Plover catching a crab

Posted by BESG on 29 December 08, Monday
Contributed by Mike Tan

In October 2008, Mike Tan a.k.a. woof photographed a Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fluva) catching a crab.

This is the commonest winter visitor and passage migrant to Singapore. The population increases from October to November, after which it decreases sharply, to increase again in mid/late-January. January to March see the highest number for the year.

In early March the plover starts fattening up for its northward migration, feeding furiously on mudflats, prawn ponds as well as along rivers and marshes. The bird forages individually but form cohesive flocks when on the move. It eats molluscs, bivalves mainly, as well as insects, worms, crustaceans and spiders.

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References:
1. Wang, L.K. & C. J. Hails, 2007. An annotated checklist of birds of Singapore. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement 15: 1-179.
2. Wells, D.R., 1999. The birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsular. Vol. I, Non-passerines. Academic Press, London. 648 pp.
3. Wiersma, P. 1996. Family Charadriidae (Plovers): Species accounts. In: del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott & J. Sargatal (eds.), Handbook of the birds of the world. Vol. 3. Hoatzin to Auks. Lynx Editions, Barcelona. Pp. 411-442.

Image by Mike Tan.

This post is a cooperative effort between www.naturepixels.org and BESG to bring the study of bird behaviour through photography to a wider audience.

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Categories: Feeding-invertebrates, Migration-Migrants

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