BIRDGACHA / FIELD NOTES
Crab-plover
The Crab-plover is a long-legged coastal bird with striking black-and-white plumage and an exceptionally heavy black bill. Its white head and body contrast with dark back and flight feathers, while the large head and thick bill distinguish it from more delicate plovers. The species in this catalogue is Crab-plover (Dromas ardeola). Crabs are its characteristic prey, handled with the powerful bill while the bird walks over exposed intertidal feeding grounds. The Crab-plover combines a deep, heavy bill and black back with long legs and a mostly white head and body.
How to recognize Crab-plover
- Look for the large, deep black bill on an otherwise pale head.
- Compare white body plumage with black back and flight feathers.
- Watch crab handling on coastal flats and check the Indian Ocean range.
Where they live
The family occurs in coasts around the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf and wider Indian Ocean. Broad intertidal sandflats and other crab-rich coastal areas provide feeding habitat. Breeding colonies use sandy ground where birds excavate burrows, and nonbreeding movements distribute the species around a wider part of the Indian Ocean coastline. Keep a respectful distance from nesting burrows; a feeding beach and a breeding colony are different parts of the species' habitat.
Species account: Crab-plover
Sources — natural history: Wetlands International: Shorebird Studies Manual, Crab-plover · Cornell Birds of the World: Crab-plover (Dromas ardeola), species natural history.
Classification: IOC World Bird List: family names and classification.
Some Cornell Birds of the World account sections require a subscription.
Updated 2026-11-06. Species counts follow this site's catalogue. This is an editorial summary, not an expert peer review.
Species records retain their original English, Chinese and scientific names.
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