Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
The Kentish plover is a small wader of the family Charadriidae that breeds on the shores of saline lakes, lagoons, and coasts, populating sand dunes, marshes, semi-arid desert, and tundra. Both male and female birds have pale plumages with a white underside, grey/brown back, dark legs and a dark bill; however, additionally the male birds also exhibit very dark incomplete breast bands, and dark markings either side of their head, therefore the Kentish plover is regarded as sexually dimorphic.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentish_plover
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Charadriidae
Genus
Charadrius
Kentish Plover belongs to the family Charadriidae, order Charadriiformes, within the Aves class.
Species Profile
The Kentish plover is a small wader of the family Charadriidae that breeds on the shores of saline lakes, lagoons, and coasts, populating sand dunes, marshes, semi-arid desert, and tundra. Both male and female birds have pale plumages with a white underside, grey/brown back, dark legs and a dark bill; however, additionally the male birds also exhibit very dark incomplete breast bands, and dark markings either side of their head, therefore the Kentish plover is regarded as sexually dimorphic.
The Kentish Plover faces severe population declines primarily due to coastal habitat destruction from urban development, tourism infrastructure, and sea-level rise. Human disturbance at nesting sites, predation by introduced species, and pollution of coastal wetlands further threaten breeding success and survival rates.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Kentish plovers have an extremely wide geographical distribution and their habitats vary not just spatially but environmentally too. They are known to reside and breed in multiple types of habitat, from desert with ground temperatures reaching 50 °C to tundra. The distribution of this species' breeding areas covers Europe, Asia and Africa. In Europe, populations are typically found in the...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
The Kentish Plover faces severe population declines primarily due to coastal habitat destruction from urban development, tourism infrastructure, and sea-level rise. Human disturbance at nesting sites, predation by introduced species, and pollution of coastal wetlands further threaten breeding success and survival rates.
Coastal habitat loss and degradation
Human disturbance at breeding sites
Tourism development and infrastructure
Predation by introduced mammals
Sea-level rise and coastal erosion
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (EN).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | ENEndangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | ENEndangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/kentish-plover