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Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2011 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 3,980,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 9,820,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2002 | |
| Population trend | Decreasing | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 6 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: The global population is estimated at 692,000 individuals according to WPE3 population data, which are considered complete. National population estimates include: c.10,000 individuals on migration and c.1,000-10,000 wintering individuals in China; c.50-10,000 wintering individuals in Taiwan; c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration and c.1,000-10,000 wintering individuals in Korea; c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration and c.1,000-10,000 wintering individuals in Japan, and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in Russia. | ||||
| Trend justification: The overall population trend is decreasing, although some populations have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). This species has had stable population trends over the last 40 years in North America (data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007) Note, however, that these surveys cover less than 50% of the species's range in North America. | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Albania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Algeria | Native | No | |||
| Angola | Native | No | |||
| Anguilla (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Native | No | |||
| Argentina | Native | No | |||
| Armenia | Native | No | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Australia | Native | No | |||
| Austria | Native | No | |||
| Azerbaijan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Bahrain | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Bangladesh | Native | No | |||
| Barbados | Native | No | |||
| Belarus | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Belgium | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Belize | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bermuda (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Bolivia | Native | No | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Native | No | |||
| Botswana | Vagrant | No | |||
| Brazil | Native | No | |||
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Native | No | |||
| Brunei | Native | No | |||
| Bulgaria | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Burundi | Vagrant | No | |||
| Cambodia | Native | No | |||
| Cameroon | Native | No | |||
| Canada | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cape Verde | Native | No | |||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Native | No | |||
| Chad | Vagrant | No | |||
| Chile | Native | No | |||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Colombia | Native | No | |||
| Comoros | Native | No | |||
| Congo | Native | No | |||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | Native | No | |||
| Cook Islands | Vagrant | No | |||
| Costa Rica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Croatia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Cuba | Native | No | |||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Cyprus | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Czech Republic | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Denmark | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Djibouti | Native | No | |||
| Dominica | Native | No | |||
| Dominican Republic | Native | No | |||
| Ecuador | Native | No | |||
| Egypt | Native | No | |||
| El Salvador | Native | No | |||
| Equatorial Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Eritrea | Native | No | |||
| Estonia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Ethiopia | Native | No | |||
| Faroe Islands (to Denmark) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Fiji | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Finland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| France | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| French Guiana | Native | No | |||
| Gabon | Native | No | |||
| Gambia | Native | No | |||
| Germany | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Ghana | Native | No | |||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Greece | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Greenland (to Denmark) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Grenada | Native | No | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guam (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guatemala | Native | No | |||
| Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | Native | No | |||
| Guyana | Native | No | |||
| Haiti | Native | No | |||
| Honduras | Native | No | |||
| Hong Kong (China) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Hungary | Native | No | |||
| Iceland | Vagrant | No | |||
| India | Native | No | |||
| Indonesia | Native | No | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Iraq | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Ireland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Israel | Native | No | |||
| Italy | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Jamaica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Japan | Native | No | |||
| Jordan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Kazakhstan | Native | No | |||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kuwait | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Kyrgyzstan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Laos | Vagrant | No | |||
| Latvia | Native | No | |||
| Lebanon | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Lesotho | Vagrant | No | |||
| Liberia | Native | No | |||
| Libya | Native | No | |||
| Luxembourg | Vagrant | No | |||
| Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Madagascar | Native | No | |||
| Malawi | Vagrant | No | |||
| Malaysia | Native | No | |||
| Maldives | Native | No | |||
| Mali | Vagrant | No | |||
| Malta | Native | No | |||
| Marshall Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Martinique (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mauritius | Native | No | |||
| Mayotte (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Mongolia | Native | No | |||
| Montenegro | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Morocco | Native | No | |||
| Mozambique | Native | No | |||
| Myanmar | Native | No | |||
| Namibia | Native | No | |||
| Nauru | Vagrant | No | |||
| Nepal | Native | No | |||
| Netherlands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| New Caledonia (to France) | Native | No | |||
| New Zealand | Native | No | |||
| Nicaragua | Native | No | |||
| Niger | Vagrant | No | |||
| Nigeria | Native | No | |||
| North Korea | Native | No | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Norway | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Oman | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Pakistan | Native | No | |||
| Palau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Palestinian Authority Territories | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Panama | Native | No | |||
| Papua New Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Paraguay | Native | No | |||
| Peru | Native | No | |||
| Philippines | Native | No | |||
| Poland | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Portugal | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Native | No | |||
| Qatar | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Réunion (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Romania | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Russia (Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Central Asian) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (European) | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Rwanda | Vagrant | No | |||
| Saudi Arabia | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| São Tomé e Príncipe | Vagrant | No | |||
| Senegal | Native | No | |||
| Serbia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Seychelles | Native | No | |||
| Sierra Leone | Native | No | |||
| Singapore | Native | No | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Slovakia | Native | No | |||
| Slovenia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Solomon Islands | Native | No | |||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | |||
| South Korea | Native | No | |||
| South Sudan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Spain | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| St Helena (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Native | No | |||
| St Lucia | Native | No | |||
| St Martin (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Native | No | |||
| Sudan | Native | No | |||
| Suriname | Native | No | |||
| Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands (to Norway) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Swaziland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Sweden | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Switzerland | Native | No | |||
| Syria | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Taiwan (China) | Native | No | |||
| Tajikistan | Native | No | |||
| Tanzania | Native | No | |||
| Thailand | Native | No | |||
| Timor-Leste | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Togo | Native | No | |||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Native | No | |||
| Tunisia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Turkey | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Turkmenistan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uganda | Native | No | |||
| Ukraine | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| United Arab Emirates | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| United Kingdom | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Uruguay | Native | No | Yes | ||
| USA | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Venezuela | Native | No | |||
| Vietnam | Native | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Western Sahara | Native | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Zambia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Zimbabwe | Native | No |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Bahía de Samborombón y Punta Rasa |  |
| Bahrain | Tubli Bay | |
| Canada | Île Rouge | |
| Canada | Barre de Portneuf | |
| Canada | Beaverhill Lake | |
| Canada | Big Piskwanish Point | |
| Canada | Boundary Bay - Roberts Bank - Sturgeon Bank (Fraser River Estuary) | |
| Canada | Creswell Bay | |
| Canada | Eastern Lake St. Clair | |
| Canada | Foxe Basin Islands | |
| Canada | Lagune du Havre aux Basques et plage de l'Ouest | |
| Canada | Marais de Gros-Cacouna | |
| Canada | Marais de Pointe-au-Père | |
| Canada | Southern Bight, Minas Basin | |
| China (mainland) | Chongming Dongtan Nature Reserve | |
| China (mainland) | Laizhou Wan | |
| China (mainland) | Shuangtai (Shuangtaizi) Estuary and Inner Gulf of Liaodong | |
| China (mainland) | Yalu Jiang Estuary | |
| Costa Rica | Nicoya Gulf mangroves and coastal areas | |
| Denmark | Fanø | |
| Denmark | Vadehavet (Wadden Sea) | |
| France | Anse du Fiers d'Ars en Ré | |
| France | Baie de Bourgneuf et marais breton | |
| France | Baie du Mont Saint Michel et Ile des Landes | |
| France | Bassin d'Arcachon et Banc d'Arguin | |
| France | Cap Gris-nez | |
| France | Estuaires picards : baies de Somme et d'Authie | |
| France | Golfe du Morbihan et Etier de Penerf | |
| France | Ile d'Oléron, marais de Brouage-Saint-Agnant | |
| France | Marais poitevin et baie de l'Aiguillon | |
| French Guiana | Amana | |
| French Guiana | Ile de Cayenne | |
| French Guiana | Littoral | |
| French Guiana | Littoral Kourou | |
| French Guiana | Littoral Macouria | |
| French Guiana | Littoral Sinnamary | |
| French Guiana | Plaine Kaw et Pointe Béhague | |
| Gabon | Akanda | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Arquipélago dos Bijagós | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Ilha de Bolama - Rio Grande de Buba | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Rio Mansôa and Gêba estuary | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo | |
| Hong Kong (China) | Inner Deep Bay and Shenzhen River catchment area | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Miankaleh Peninsula and Gorgan Bay | |
| Japan | Inner Ariake bay | |
| Japan | Inner Tokyo bay | |
| Mauritania | Banc d'Arguin National Park | |
| Mexico | Istmo de Tehuantepec-Mar Muerto | |
| Morocco | Baie d'Ad Dakhla | |
| Morocco | Lagune de Khnifiss | |
| Morocco | Merja Zerga | |
| Mozambique | Bazaruto Archipelago | |
| Namibia | Walvis Bay | |
| Netherlands | Ameland: Duinen-Oerd | |
| Netherlands | Engelsmanplaat | |
| Netherlands | Frisian Wadden Sea coast | |
| Netherlands | Griend | |
| Netherlands | Groningen Wadden Sea coast | |
| Netherlands | Oosterschelde | |
| Netherlands | Rottumeroog | |
| Netherlands | Rottumerplaat | |
| Netherlands | Schiermonnikoog | |
| Netherlands | Terschelling: De Boschplaat | |
| Netherlands | Wadden Sea | |
| Netherlands | Westerschelde and Saeftinghe | |
| Oman | Barr al Hikman | |
| Oman | Masirah island | |
| Panama | Upper Bay of Panamá | |
| Portugal | Ria Formosa (Faro lagoon) | |
| Portugal | Tejo estuary | |
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Jobos Bay | |
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Suroeste | |
| Russia (Central Asian) | Lower Yuribey | |
| Russia (Central Asian) | Upper and Middle Yuribey | |
| Russia (European) | Seskar island | |
| Saudi Arabia | Jizan Bay | |
| Saudi Arabia | Tarut Bay | |
| Senegal | Delta du Saloum | |
| Sierra Leone | Sierra Leone River Estuary | |
| Sierra Leone | Yawri Bay | |
| South Africa | West Coast National Park and Saldanha Bay islands | |
| South Korea | Asan Bay (including Asan-ho lake and Sapgyo-ho lake) | |
| South Korea | Dongjin estuary | |
| South Korea | Geum-gang river and estuary | |
| South Korea | Mangyeong estuary | |
| South Korea | Nakdong-gang estuary | |
| South Korea | Namyang Bay | |
| South Korea | Tidal flat area of Yeongjong-do island | |
| South Korea | Yubu-do island | |
| Tunisia | Kneiss | |
| Tunisia | Sebkhet Dreïaa | |
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | North, Middle and East Caicos Ramsar Site | |
| Ukraine | Syvash Bay | |
| United Arab Emirates | Khor Dubai | |
| United Kingdom | Chichester and Langstone Harbours | |
| United Kingdom | Humber Estuary | |
| United Kingdom | Mid-Essex Coast | |
| United Kingdom | North Norfolk Coast | |
| United Kingdom | Portsmouth Harbour | |
| United Kingdom | Ribble and Alt Estuaries | |
| United Kingdom | Stour and Orwell Estuaries | |
| United Kingdom | The Swale | |
| United Kingdom | The Wash | |
| United Kingdom | The Wash | |
| USA | Teshekpuk Lake and East Dease Inlet | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grassland | Tundra | major | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 0 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threats & impact
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Whole (>90%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| |||||||||
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food (human) | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Sport | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Pluvialis squatarola. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Charadriidae (Plovers) |
| Species name author | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Decreasing |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 3,980,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
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