Semipalmated Plover

-Charadrius semipalmalus-

Length 7.25 inches
Wingspan 20 inches
Weight 2.2 ounces

Name comes from the fact there is slight webbing between the toes. Nests in Arctic during spring and early summer, present in Texas August through March. A small, plump, brown-backed plover with a single dark breast-band. Resembles killdeer but with only one breast-band, smaller. Like killdeer, nests on ground and uses broken-wing display to lure intruders from nest site. Bill deep yellow with black tip except during winter when it becomes all dark. Legs are orange or yellow. Found on beaches, mud flats and estuaries. Eats insects, crustaceans and worms.