Snowy Plover Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesSnowy Plover
Breeding adult
Small shorebird with a horizontal posture and a short neck. Breeding adults have a black crown stripe, a dark ear patch, and a black patch on the side of the neck. Pale sandy gray above and white below. Bill is black in all seasons.
© Sharif Uddin / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 16, 2020Nonbreeding/immature
Nonbreeding birds lack the dark crown stripe and have a paler neck stripe. Sandy gray above and white below with a black bill and gray legs.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 12, 2013Nonbreeding adult
Rests and forages on the higher parts of the beach with loose sand. Often hunkers down in depressions in the sand to rest.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 12, 2013Not all videos have sound
Nonbreeding/immature
Small shorebird with a horizontal posture and a short, black bill. The facial marks on nonbreeding birds are paler. Note gray legs.
© Collin Stempien / Macaulay LibraryAlabama, November 05, 2018Breeding adult
Some breeding birds show a darker ear patch in addition to the black crown and neck stripe. The bill is dark in all seasons.
© Darren Clark / Macaulay LibraryIdaho, April 24, 2020Breeding adult
Breeds on sparsely vegetated sandy beaches and lake shores.
© Luke SeitzCalifornia, March 25, 2013Similar SpeciesPiping Plover
Breeding adult
Piping Plovers have a shorter, orange-based bill (during breeding season) than Snowy Plovers. Piping Plovers have yellow legs while Snowy Plovers have dark legs.
© Gates Dupont / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, June 04, 2015Similar SpeciesPiping Plover
Juvenile
Juvenile Piping Plovers have a stubbier bill and yellow (not dark) legs compared to Snowy Plovers.
© Sue Barth / Macaulay LibraryNew York, August 15, 2016Similar SpeciesPiping Plover
Adult
In flight, Piping Plovers have a white band on the tail, but Snowies have white outer tail feathers.
© Tom Johnson / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, August 03, 2016Similar SpeciesSemipalmated Plover
Nonbreeding adult
Semipalmated Plovers are darker brown overall than Snowy Plovers with a thicker and more obvious breastband in nonbreeding plumage. The legs are yellow on Semipalmated but dark on Snowy Plovers.
© Daniel Jauvin / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, October 01, 2016Similar SpeciesSemipalmated Plover
Juvenile
Juvenile Semipalmated Plovers are darker brown overall than Snowy Plovers with a more obvious breast band.
© Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, August 27, 2014Similar SpeciesWilson's Plover
Nonbreeding adult
Wilson's Plovers are darker brown overall and have a longer and chunkier bill than Snowy Plovers.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryGeorgia, September 28, 2016Similar SpeciesWilson's Plover
Breeding adult
Wilson's Plovers are darker brown overall and have a longer and chunkier bill than Snowy Plovers.
© Chris Wood / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, April 23, 2007Similar SpeciesSemipalmated Plover
Breeding adult
Semipalmated Plovers are darker brown overall than Snowy Plovers with a thicker breast band.
© Ross Gallardy / Macaulay LibraryIllinois, June 11, 2016Similar SpeciesSanderling
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding Sanderlings have a longer bill and are grayer overall than Snowy Plovers.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, November 16, 2014Similar SpeciesKilldeer
Adult
Killdeers are larger than Snowy Plovers with a longer, thinner bill and 2 dark breast bands instead of 1.
© Davey Walters / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 27, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Plovers and Lapwings(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Charadriidae)
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