Pluvianellidae - Magellanic plover

The only member of this family is the Magellanic plover. It is only found in southern most South America. It has characteristics that have confused scientists about how it should be classified!

It is not a plover, although it was placed in the Charadriidae family once. Some thought it was a sandpiper because of its bill and that it should be in the Scolopacidae family. Others thought that the way it feeds it young made it part of the dove or Columbidae family. Using DNA analysis scientists discovered that it was most closely related to the sheathbills in the Chionidae family, but that it was different enough to deserve a family of its own.

The Magellanic plover is a wading bird. It is a soft dove-gray on its uppersides and white on its belly. It has a black bill, pink legs, and red eyes.

It feeds on small invertebrates that it finds on the shore. It often turns over stones and pebbles looking for food, like the ruddy turnstone. It also uses its legs to dig in the mud and sand for prey.

Magellanic plovers nest on the ground. The female lays two eggs, but only one usually survives. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed and care for the chick. The parents feed the chick crop milk like doves feed their chicks. The Magellanic plover is the only wading bird that uses this method to feed its chicks.

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in the Wild Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Breeds in NH Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

Additional Information

Key: Profile Photos Video Audio

Magellanic Plover - Pluvianellus socialis
The Magellanic plover is a short-distance migrator. It spends the winter on the shore and migrates a little bit inland during breeding season.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Magellanic Plover - Pluvianellus socialis
The Magellanic plover is a short-distance migrator. It spends the winter on the shore and migrates a little bit inland during breeding season.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School