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Charadriidae:
The bird family Charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are distributed through open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions: the Inland Dotterel, for example, prefers stony ground in the deserts of central and western Australia.
They hunt by sight, rather than by feel as longer-billed waders like snipe do. Foods eaten include insects, worms or other invetebrates depending on habitat, and are usually obtained by a run-and-pause technique, rather than the steady probing of some other wader groups. |
