Forbes's Plover
Encyclopedia
The Forbes’s Plover or Forbes’s Banded Plover, Charadrius forbesi, is a small wader
. This plover
is resident in much of west Africa, mainly on inland rivers, pools and lake
s. Its nest
is a scrape lined with small pebbles in rocky uplands. After breeding in the wet season, this bird moves to open grassland
s, including airfields and golf courses, in the dry season. It is sometimes seen at pools or reservoir
s.
The adult Forbes’ Plover is 20 cm in length. It has long wings and a long tail, and therefore looks different from most other small plovers in flight, the exception being the closely related Three-banded Plover
which replaces it in eastern and southern Africa
and Madagascar
.
The breeding adult has dark brown upperparts, and the underparts are white except for the two black breast bands, separated by a white band, which give this species its common and scientific names. The head is strikingly patterned, with a black crown, brown forehead, white supercilia
extending from above the eyes to meet on the back of the neck, and a grey face. The eye ring and the base of the otherwise black bill
are red. The sexes are similar.
In non-breeding adults, the breast bands may be dark brown, and the supercilia buff-tinged. Juveniles resemble the non-breeding adult, but are duller.
This species is larger and darker than the Three-banded Plover
. The latter species also has a white forehead and a white wingbar.
Forbes’s Plover is often seen as single individuals, but may form small flocks. It hunts by sight for insects, worms and other invertebrate
s. It has a piping peee-oo call.
This species was named for the British zoologist William Alexander Forbes
.
Wader
Waders, called shorebirds in North America , are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. The latter are the skuas , gulls , terns , skimmers , and auks...
. This plover
Plover
Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.Plovers are found throughout...
is resident in much of west Africa, mainly on inland rivers, pools and lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s. Its nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
is a scrape lined with small pebbles in rocky uplands. After breeding in the wet season, this bird moves to open grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s, including airfields and golf courses, in the dry season. It is sometimes seen at pools or reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s.
The adult Forbes’ Plover is 20 cm in length. It has long wings and a long tail, and therefore looks different from most other small plovers in flight, the exception being the closely related Three-banded Plover
Three-banded Plover
The Three-banded Plover or Three-banded Sandplover, Charadrius tricollaris, is a small wader. This plover is resident in much of eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar, mainly on inland rivers, pools and lakes. Its nest is a bare scrape on shingle.The adult Three-banded Plover is 18 cm in...
which replaces it in eastern and southern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
.
The breeding adult has dark brown upperparts, and the underparts are white except for the two black breast bands, separated by a white band, which give this species its common and scientific names. The head is strikingly patterned, with a black crown, brown forehead, white supercilia
Supercilium
The supercilium is a plumage feature found on the heads of some bird species. It is a stripe which runs from the base of the bird's beak above its eye, finishing somewhere towards the rear of the bird's head. Also known as an "eyebrow", it is distinct from the eyestripe, which is a line which runs...
extending from above the eyes to meet on the back of the neck, and a grey face. The eye ring and the base of the otherwise black bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
are red. The sexes are similar.
In non-breeding adults, the breast bands may be dark brown, and the supercilia buff-tinged. Juveniles resemble the non-breeding adult, but are duller.
This species is larger and darker than the Three-banded Plover
Three-banded Plover
The Three-banded Plover or Three-banded Sandplover, Charadrius tricollaris, is a small wader. This plover is resident in much of eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar, mainly on inland rivers, pools and lakes. Its nest is a bare scrape on shingle.The adult Three-banded Plover is 18 cm in...
. The latter species also has a white forehead and a white wingbar.
Forbes’s Plover is often seen as single individuals, but may form small flocks. It hunts by sight for insects, worms and other invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s. It has a piping peee-oo call.
This species was named for the British zoologist William Alexander Forbes
William Alexander Forbes
William Alexander Forbes was an English zoologist.Forbes studied natural sciences at St John's College, Cambridge. In 1879 he was appointed prosector to the Zoological Society of London on the death of the previous incumbent, Alfred Henry Garrod, who was Forbes's friend and whose literary executor...
.