this family still includes 2 subfamilies beside the actual plovers (subfamily Charadriinae), that 25 types of the Kiebitze (Vanellinae) as well as the 3 types of the stone-tomes (Arenariinae), that are considered also to be one of the snipe-birds by some researchers.
Characteristics Plovers are over far many islands, coasts and inland-ships of all continents, with exception of the pole-areas, spreads, where it with its short beaks (not longer than the head, usually even much more shortly and often thickens at the top something or runs out however at least equally strongly) after insects, ringlet-worms, mollusks, other invertebrates and small fishings seeks. To the low extent, some types eat also vegetable food. Plovers poke only little or not at all in the ground, like snipe-birds and oyster-fishers, on that occasion; its beak therefore is not strong provided with corresponding Tastsinnesorganen.
The optical bearings plays an essential role for plovers with the food-search. The eyes of these birds are quite big and stand far lateral; this awards them a big visual field.
Shape The legs of the plovers are middle-long and carry 3 (almost all actual plovers) to 4 toes (many Kiebitze). The plumage of most plovers is scrutinized contrastingly brown, black and white, however these plumage-drawings usually merge in the free terrain so that the birds are camouflaged well. Both sexes resemble with almost all plovers from.
Reproduction In its brood-habits, plovers don't show any big differences. they put 2 eggs into an ungepolsterte mostly or only little with plant-material of from-dressed nest-hollow. The eggs are very big in the relationship to the body of the birds; they become erbrütet from both brood-partners for 21-29 days together, until which already very far developed Dunenjungen slips. As distinct Nestflüchter, they are very well camouflaged and run quickly around soon after abandonment of the Eischale.
With danger, they shirk motionless on the ground while the alto-birds lure away the trouble-maker from the nest in that they "tempt" it. They "limp" with "broken" wing with difficulty there and attract the robber's attention to itself so. As soon as this is removed from the nest sufficiently far, they fly, now again completely "healthy", fast from it. The squabs are led by both parents and stay together until the fully-fledged-development (after 3-5 weeks) in the family-association with them.
Locomotion Plovers are able with its powerful ones, pointed tapered wings very fast and nimbly, to fly. Most types cover wide routes on the train to and from its winter-quarters (laburnum-pipers). Also on the ground, plovers move nimbly in front; the "tripping" one, fast run is quite characteristic for this bird-group. The animals suddenly stop abruptly and scrutinize its surroundings carefully, about thereupon fast further-runs. Most of the types of the plovers live sociably and meet outside the brood-period to often big swarms.
Names It is not unequivocally clarified from where plovers got its German name. its light, "wheezy" reputations let it frequently even then heard if no rain is to be expected! As a "weather forecaster", plovers are not to be used anyway.
Actual plovers (Charadriinae)) At the 37-40 types is summarized in this subfamily, from what the type Charadrius contains alone 21 plovers. Here belongs also to the 15 cm big river-plovers (Charadrius dubius) of the inner-waters as well as the more frequent, 19 cm long sand-plover (Ch). hiaticula, the beach-regions and the 16 cm big sea-plovers, Ch. alexandrinus, with which the female is colored somewhat more insignificantly.
These 3 types brood also in Central Europe while further 4 plovers of the same type are farther eastern and southeast widespread. From North America, big wedge-tail-plover or scream-plovers (Ch) appear also to the 25 cm as Irrgast. vociferus.
Shape Only with this type, the tail is long and wedge-shaped while the other members of the type Charadrius have short and almost exactly cut-off tails. On the upper side, they all are colored brown monochrome until gray, while the underside knows befiedert mainly is. Prominent black strips form "face-packs" and breast-ribbons while dark-red-brown fields with some types accentuate the neck and breast-region particularly. The legs of these plovers are quite powerful and carry small instep-skins between the outside and means-toes.
Further plovers The two laburnum-pipers as well as the very similar one are in the type Pluvialis, summarized big Kiebitzregenpfeifer (Pluvialis squatarola) 28 cm.
The Mornellregenpfeifer is put into an independent type (Eudromias). As well, one severs some American and African types as well as many plovers of the Australian region as own types.
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