Charadriidae
| Charadriidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus) | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Charadriidae Leach,1820 |
| Genera | |
The bird familyCharadriidaeincludes theplovers,dotterels,andlapwings.The family contains 69speciesthat are divided into 10genera.
Taxonomy
[edit]ThefamilyCharadriidae was introduced (as Charadriadæ) by the English zoologistWilliam Elford Leachin a guide to the contents of theBritish Museumpublished in 1820.[1][2]Most members of the family are known asplovers,lapwingsordotterels.These were rather vague terms which were not applied with any great consistency in the past. In general, larger species have often been calledlapwings,smaller speciesploversordotterelsand there are in fact two clear taxonomic sub-groups: most lapwings belong to the subfamilyVanellinae,most plovers and dotterels toCharadriinae.
The trend in recent years has been to rationalise the common names of the Charadriidae. For example, the large and very common Australian bird traditionally known as the ‘spur-winged plover’, is now themasked lapwing;the former ‘sociable plover’ is now thesociable lapwing.
Description
[edit]They are small to medium-sizedbirdswith compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings. Their bill are usually straight (except for thewrybill) and short, their toes are short, hind toe could be reduced or absent, depending on species. Most Charadriidae also have relatively short tails, with the exception of thekilldeer.In most genera, the sexes are similar, very little sexual dimorphism occurs between sexes. They range in size from thecollared plover,at 26 grams and 14 cm (5.5 in), to themasked lapwing,at 368 grams (0.811 pounds) and 35 cm (14 in).
Distribution and habitat
[edit]They are distributed through open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions: theinland dotterel,for example, prefers stony ground in the deserts of central and western Australia,[3]and thekilldeeris often found in grasslands in North America.
Behaviour and ecology
[edit]They hunt by sight, rather than by feel as longer-billed waders likesnipedo. Foods eaten include aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates such as insects, worms,molluscsandcrustaceansdepending on habitat, and are usually obtained by a run-and-pause technique, rather than the steady probing of some other wader groups. They also feed on plant material.
Breeding
[edit]The vast majority ofCharadriidaehave a socially monogamous mating system. Some, such asNorthern lapwings,arepolygynous,others, such asmountain plovershave a rapid multiple-clutch system that can be accompanied by sequential polyandry. InEurasian dotterels,females compete for males and males provide allparental care.[4]While breeding, they defend their territories with highly visible aerial displays.[3]
Charadridae lay two to four eggs into the nest, which is usually a shallow scrape in the open ground, and incubate the clutch for 21–30 days.[4]In species where both parents incubate the eggs, females and males vary in the way they share their incubation duties, both within and between species. In some pairs, parents exchange on the nest in the morning and in the evening so that their incubation rhythm follows 24-hour day, in others females and males exchange up to 20 times a day.[5]
Charadriidaeare protective over their eggs and offspring. The parents protect their young by uttering an alarm call, performingdistraction displayand they may even attack the predator or intruder. The chicks are precocial; their parents do not feed them.
References
[edit]- ^Leach, William Elford(1820). "Eleventh Room".Synopsis of the Contents of the British Museum.Vol. 17 (17th ed.). London: British Museum. p. 69.Although the name of the author is not specified in the document, Leach was the Keeper of Zoology at the time.
- ^Bock, Walter J. (1994).History and Nomenclature of Avian Family-Group Names.Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Vol. 222. New York: American Museum of Natural History. p. 137.hdl:2246/830.
- ^abHarrison, Colin J.O. (1991). Forshaw, Joseph (ed.).Encyclopaedia of Animals: Birds.London: Merehurst Press. p. 105.ISBN1-85391-186-0.
- ^abPiersma, T.; Wiersma, P. (1996)."Family Charadriidae (Plovers)".In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.).Handbook of the Birds of the World.Vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 384-443 [400-401].ISBN978-84-87334-20-7.
- ^Bulla, Martin; Valcu, Mihai; Dokter, Adriaan M.; Dondua, Alexei G.; Kosztolányi, András; Rutten, Anne L.; Helm, Barbara; Sandercock, Brett K.; Casler, Bruce (2016)."Unexpected diversity in socially synchronized rhythms of shorebirds"(PDF).Nature.540(7631): 109–113.Bibcode:2016Natur.540..109B.doi:10.1038/nature20563.PMID27880762.S2CID4390453.
External links
[edit]
- Charadriidae videoson the Internet Bird Collection
- Incubating Charadriidae videosin Incubating shorebirds
