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This page lists books about lapwings, plovers and dotterels in the UK and worldwide. The books are listed in order of publication date with the most recent at the top.

Other wader pages

Books about waders

Charadriidae

Lapwings
Family: Charadriidae
Subfamily: Vanellinae

In the UK

Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellus

European Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricaria

Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarola

Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula

Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubius

Eurasian Dotterel
Charadrius morinellus

Rare UK visitors

Semi-palmated Plover
Charadrius semipalmatus

Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus

Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus

Lesser Sand Plover
Charadrius mongolus

Greater Sand Plover
Charadrius leschenaultii

Caspian Plover
Charadrius asiaticus

American Golden Plover
Pluvialis dominica

Pacific Golden Plover
Pluvialis fulva

Sociable Plover
Vanellus gregarius

White-tailed Lapwing
Vanellus leucurus

Worldwide

Worldwide there are about 40 species of plovers and dotterels in the Charadriinae subfamily and about 25 species of lapwings in the Vanellinae subfamily.

Hawai‘i's Kolea: The Amazing Transpacific Life of the Pacific Golden-Plover

Oscar W. Johnson, Susan Scott

2016

"Oscar "Wally" Johnson, the undisputed world expert on Pacific Golden-Plovers, and Susan Scott, a popular-science writer, have combined their knowledge and enthusiasm to create a book for everyone who admires the exceptional birds known as Kolea in Hawaiian. With easy-to-understand, yet scientifically accurate, text and outstanding color photographs, Hawai'i's Kolea:The Amazing Transpacific Life of the Pacific Golden-Plover is a handy, reliable source of information for both general readers and ornithology specialists."

International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius

Compiled by Rob Sheldon, Maxim Koshkin, Johannes Kamp, Sergey Dereliev, Paul Donald & Sharif Jbour

AEWA

(CMS Technical Series No. 28)

2012

Prepared with financial support from the UK Government's Darwin Initiative and Swarovski Optik through Birdlife International's Preventing Extinctions Programme.

From the executive summary: "The Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) is globally threatened, being recognized as Critically Endangered by IUCN. It is listed in Column A of the action plan under the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and in Annex I of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). The Sociable Lapwing is a migratory species. It breeds in the central steppes of Kazakhstan with small numbers in Russia. The majority of the population migrate through south-west Russia, into Turkey and through a number of countries in the Middle East, before spending the winter in north-east Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. A small number of birds migrate south-east into Pakistan and north-west India."

The Importance of North-Eastern Mongolia for Migrating Pacific Golden Plovers: Spring 2005

Jan J. Wijmenga, Joop Jukema, Jeroen Reneerkens, Sundev Gombobataar, B. Gantulga & S. Tserennadmin

Foundation Working Group International Wader and Waterfowl Research

2011

"Global population estimates of Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva range from as low as 100,000 to as high as 1,000,000. Earlier reports suggest that between 4,000 and 50,000 Pacific Golden Plovers migrate through the Mongol-Daguur Strictly Protected Area in North-Eastern of Mongolia, which is an important area for numerous breeding and migrating birds. Given these estimates, the Mongol-Daguur Strictly Protected Area may host a significant portion of the world's population during migration. To gain a better understanding of the stopover behaviour of Pacific Golden Plovers, and of the importance of this area for this wader species, a Dutch-Mongolian expedition was set up. During a 16 day period, Pacific Golden Plovers on migration were counted, caught and measured."

Flight of the Golden Plover: The Amazing Migration Between Hawaii and Alaska

Debbie S Miller

University of Alaska Press

2011

"The remarkable story of the golden plover's annual migration, this beautifully illustrated nature title for young readers sees the small but mighty plover embark on a six-thousand-mile flight between the frozen Alaska tundra and gentle grassy slopes of the Hawaiian Islands. Equally at home in his two very different habitats, the once-endangered golden plover has evolved many behaviors and adaptations that make it perfectly well-suited to each of its homes, and this book contains many fascinating facts about them. Readers are also introduced to the plover's neighbors and friends - from the giant Hawaiian goose, or nene, to the musk ox, grizzly bear, arctic fox, and sandhill crane."

Syrian Sociable Lapwing Survey

Remco Hofland and Guido Keijl

Foundation Working Group International Wader and Waterfowl Research

2008

"Until recently, there was scant information on the surviving numbers of Sociable Lapwings, their preferred habitat, migration routes and on the main threats to their survival. The species is currently classified as Critically Endangered by BirdLife International: the world population was estimated to number only 1200 individuals (Delany & Scott 2006). Between 18 February - 5 March 2007 a team consisting of Dutch and Syrian birdwatchers surveyed wetlands and fields in approximately the northern half of Syria on the presence of this species. Here, many hundreds were found. After this date, two team members stayed in the area holding the highest numbers until 26 March, when all Sociable Lapwings had left. Sociable Lapwings were encountered in four natural steppe areas in northern Syria: three situated in the central-northern agricultural area (Eiwa, Al Aumair and Ar Ruweira) and one further south (Al Fedha), between Deir ez-Zor and Palmyra. Altogether, 1579 Sociable Lapwings were counted prior to 5 March, while a week later, on 8-9 March, the highest estimate numbered 2000 birds. None of the birds checked were colour-ringed. Information was collected on numbers, behaviour, plumage and diet. All birds were exclusively seen in natural steppe habitat, except for a small flock that left the steppe to rest in an arable field. No birds were observed near water, with the exception of 12 Sociable Lapwings that briefly stayed near a sabkha (temporary pool) near Eiwa."

UK Population Estimates from the 2007 Breeding Little Ringed Plover and Ringed Plover Surveys

G. J. Conway, N.H.K. Burton, M. Handschuh, G.E. Austin

British Trust For Ornithology

2008

"This report summarises the results of the 2007 Breeding Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius and Ringed Plover C. Hiaticula surveys and provides new population estimates for the two species in the United Kingdom and its constituent countries. The surveys were the first country-wide surveys of these two species since 1984."

Assessing population change of breeding Ringed Plovers in the UK between 1984 and 2007

G.J. Conway, N.H.K. Burton

British Trust For Ornithology

2008

"The 2007 Breeding Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) and Ringed Plover (C. hiaticula) Survey was the first UK-wide survey of these two species since 1984. That survey revealed a total of c. 8,540 pairs of Ringed Plover in Britain (Prater 1989). England held about 2,390 pairs, Wales an estimated 220 pairs, Northern Ireland 130 pairs and Scotland c. 5,800 pairs, i.e. two thirds of the total population. The 1984 survey also revealed a population of 608-631 pairs of Little Ringed Plover (confined to England and Wales: Parrinder 1989). The latest population estimate of 825-1,070 summering pairs comes from the 1988-91 New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland (Gibbons et al. 1993). The 2007 survey not only provides the opportunity to update population estimates for the two species, but also to assess how the species' populations have changed and the likely influences. Breeding Little Ringed Plovers and Ringed Plovers are particularly prone to disturbance, as with other plover species (Liley 1999, Lafferty et al. 2006, Tratalos et al. 2005, Liley & Sutherland 2007, Montalvo & Figuerola 2006, Yasué & Dearden 2006, Long et al. 2008), and it is thus likely that the species will have fared relatively less well where human population densities are greatest. In this report we examine large- scale spatial variation in population change of Ringed Plover between 1984 and 2007 and investigate whether population change in England and Wales was related to human population density. Change is evaluated by comparing the numbers of pairs recorded on sites surveyed in both 1984 and 2007. This approach is less suitable for assessing population change of Little Ringed Plovers, as their breeding habitats are far more ephemeral. Thus sites occupied in 1984 may have become unsuitable for breeding, for example due to vegetation growth, but birds simply redistributed to other newly created local sites."

The Lapwing

Michael Shrubb

Poyser

2007

" With its striking green-black and white plumage and distinctive pee-wit call, the Lapwing is one of Britain's best-known birds. Lapwings depend on agricultural land to breed and are considered a barometer of the health of this habitat; the population has crashed over recent decades, partly due to changes in farming practices. In winter, Lapwings switch to coastal areas and to wetlands, including those in suburban areas, where large, noisy flocks can gather. Michael Shrubb's The Lapwing is a concise yet authoritative monograph of this popular species; a thorough review of Lapwing biology contains sections on population dynamics, feeding ecology, habitat use, migration, and conservation; there is an impressively detailed review of our current understanding of breeding biology, plus discussion of some other species in the genus."

International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius

AEWA

2004

Prepared with financial support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, The Netherlands

From the introduction: "The Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius is protected under national legislation all over its breeding range in Russia and Kazakhstan. However, the decline of species population that was observed throughout the entire 20th century - most notably at the beginning of the century, later from 1930 to 1960 and then from the 1970s to the 1990s - requires urgent measures to be undertaken by the AEWA Range States, as well as by the states that have not yet joined this international agreement, but are responsible for the survival of the Sociable Lapwing during breeding, migration and wintering."

Ecology of Grey Plovers Pluvialis squatarola breeding in the Lena Delta, The Sakha Republic/Yakutia, in 1997

K-M. Exo, & O. Stepanova

Working Group International Waterbird and Wetland Research

2000

Winter Ecology of Golden Plovers and Lapwings: A Review and Consideration of Extensive Survey Methods

S. Gillings and R.J. Fuller

British Trust For Ornithology

1999

This report is in two main parts: the first is a literature review and the second is a discussion of survey methods. Suggestions of alternative methods for surveying plovers are made.

Tundra Plovers: The Eurasian, Pacific and American Golden Plovers and Grey Plover

Ingvar Byrkjedal and Des Thompson

Poyser

1998

"This text presents the tundra plovers, comprising of the grey plover and the Eurasian, Pacific, and American golden plovers. Breeding on tundra or northern heaths and moorland, they migrate far south to coastal mudflats, saltings and agricultural landscapes. The text examines the taxonomy, appearance, behaviour, ecology and conservation of golden and grey plovers, and compares and contrasts their natural history and biogeography. It also gives accounts on all aspects of their lifestyle including feeding, mating, parental care, moults, migration and avoidance of predators."

Ecology of Grey Plovers Pluvialis Squatarola Breeding in the Lena Delta, The Sakha Republic/Yakutia in 1997: Report on a Pilot Study

Klaus-Michael Exo and Olga Stepanova

1998

A 109 page report.

The Ecology and Conservation of Lapwings

Editors: G.M. Tucker, S.M. Davies and R.J. Fuller

1994

Reviews the effects of agricultural change on lapwing populations in Britain. It also contains a number of short papers presented at a one-day workshop on lapwings held in 1990.

Trends in the Breeding Performance of Golden Plover in Britain

Humphrey Crick

British Trust for Ornithology / Joint Nature Conservation Committee

1992

A 34 page report.

Agricultural Practices And Their Effects On Lapwings

Tucker, G.M., Hudson R.W. & Fuller, R.J.

British Trust for Ornithology

1990

72 page report.

The Lapwing

Peter Weaver

1987

Gulls and Plovers: The Ecology and Behaviour of Mixed Species Feeding Groups

C.J. Barnard and D.B. Thompson

1985

A 320 page study.

The Year of the Spur-winged Plover

Maida Barlow

1983

Plovers, Sandpipers and Snipes of the World

Paul A. Johnsgard

1981

A guide to 165 species of waders with identification keys, comparative biology, and species accounts. Includes 60 colour plates and 135 distribution maps.

Plovers

Richard Vaughan

1980?

150 pages with colour and b/w photographs.

Dotterel

Desmond Nethersole-Thompson

1973

A 288 page monograph of the dotterel which covers all aspects of their life history. Includes a colour frontispiece and 15 black and white photographs.

A Generic Review of the Plovers (Charadriinae, Aves)

Walter J. Bock

Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology

1958

Opening lines: "For many years the relationships between the grey and golden plovers have been argued about with little agreement between the opposing schools of opinoin. While there has been much discussion of the problem, a critical evaluation of the evidence supporting the maintenance of the genus "Squatarola" as distinct from Pliivialis has never been presented. With this in mind, Dr. Ernst Mayr sugested that I undertake a study of the skull morphology of the large plovers {Pliivialis) so that the earlier works of Lowe could be better evaluated and so that our understanding of the relationships of these species could be further clarified."

The Lapwing In Britain: Some Account Of Its Distribution And Behaviour, And Of Its Role In Dialect, Folk-Lore, And Literature

Kenrick Grant Spencer

1953

166 pages with 12 pages of black and white photographs.

The Lapwing

E.A.R. Ennion

Published under the auspices of the Council for the Promotion of Field Studies

Methuen & Co.

1949

A 48 page study with 4 color plates and numerous line drawings by the author. The inner flap of the book outlines the aims of the Field Study Books.

Field Study Books discuss countryside problems from the intimate angle of the expert; and yet contrive to do this in a way that is neither tedious nor difficult to understand. Thie appeal is to the student, to the general reader, and to the older school child. Amply illustrated in colour and line, they cover a wide range and always from the field rather tha from the classroom or laboratory aspect. They deal with the various branches of biology, including animal and plant ecology; with geology, regional geography and archaeology; with art and countryside architecture; with country crafts and lore and history - with everything, in short, whose natural setting is the open air.

The Golden Plover And Other Birds

Arthur A. Allen

Photographs of birds in nature by the author

Comstock Publishing

1939

Part of the American Bird Biographies series.

Plovers

Joseph A. Pease

Educational Series No. 11

Society for the Protection of Birds

1890's

A 5 page guide that covers Stone Curlew, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Lesser Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Dotterel and Lapwing. Provides a brief description and information on distribution, numbers, food, characteristics, protection, plus one and a half pages of general remarks.

The Geographical Distribution Of The Family Charadriidae, Or The Plovers, Sandpipers, Snipes, And Their Allies

Henry Seebohm

Henry Southeran & Co

1888

From the preface:

"About twenty years ago Mr. J. E. Harting began to collect information relating to the group of birds commonly called the Limicolae, with the intention of publishing a monograph of them. In the course of his studies he contributed from time to time articles on this group of birds to 'The Ibis' and to the 'Proceedings' of the Zoological Society; but subsequently his attention drifted into other channels, until in 1884 he abandoned the idea of writing a monograph, and offered his collection of birds for sale. I was then writing on the British species belonging to the group, which had always been an especial favourite of mine, and was glad of the opportunity of making my collection more complete. I therefore bought the Harting collection, which, with the Swinhoe collection, already in my Museum, and the Shelley collection of African Limicolae since acquired, provided me with ample material for study as soon as the last part of the 'History of British Birds' had gone to press. The result of this study is the present volume. Acting in accordance with the old proverb "bis dat qui cito dat," I determined not to write a monograph. What I had to say on the habits of these birds I had already said in the work referred to: on the other hand, I found that the study of all the species contained in the group threw quite a different light upon their geographical distribution, and enabled me to correct what appeared to be errors in their classification - their mutual relationship, in fact; so I determined to make these two subjects the theme of the book."

On Rare Or Little-Known Limicolae

James Edmund Harting

Ibis: Volume 15, Issue 3, pages 260-269

1873

Opening lines:

"It frequently happens that a general description of form and colour intended to indicate a particular species applies 80 well to another for which it was not intended, that unless measurements are added, or some marked specific character pointed out, it is impossible to discriminate the two without reference to the type or types which furnished the description. A case in point is afforded by the Charadrius pecuarius of Temminck."

On Rare Or Little-Known Limicolae (Continued)

James Edmund Harting

Volume 12, Issue 3, pages 378-392

Isis

1870

Opening lines:

"I proposed in my last paper, for the sake of convenience, to divide the rufous-breasted Plovers into two groups-those which in structure and habits resemble the Dotterels (Eudrornias), and those whose affinities are with the Shore-Plovers (Byialitis). Having disposed of the former, I now proceed with the latter, and will try to bring together materials for a complete history, so far as possible, of the remaining two species, Ae. geoffroyi and Ae. mongolicus, whose general resemblance, as I before mentioned, both in summer and winter plumage, has led to their being frequently confounded."

On Rare Or Little-Known Limicolae

James Edmund Harting

Volume 12, Issue 2, pages 201-213

Isis

1870

Opening lines:

"An attempt to identify the Charadrius asiaticus of Pallas, necessitates the examination of a very beautiful group of Plovers. The peculiarity which, for the present purpose, connects the different species of this group, is the assumption during the breeding-season of a bright rufons band across the breast. I say for the present purpose, because, as will be seen hereafter, the species which, on account of this peculiarity, are here brought together belong to two different genera - the one an inland genus, Eudromias, the other a littoral one, Aegialitis."