The Ringed Plover is a small, plump-looking wading bird that has a short orange beak with a black tip.  It can be see all around the coasts of England on sandy beaches, shingle beaches and sometimes in flooded gravel pits.  It has its name the ‘Ringed Plover’ because it has a distinct white ring of feathers around its neck.

The Ringed Plover has a black stripe on the top of its forehead and a white neck stripe underneath it.  It also has a black stripe that runs through each eye from the base of the beak to the back of the neck.  The top part of its chest has a black band running across it and its tummy is white.  Its back is a greyish brown colour and its legs and feet are orange. 

Ringed Plovers are often seen singly, although they sometimes form small flocks.  They fly very quickly and quite low to the ground and sometimes they seem to fly like butterflies because they flutter up and down in the air.  On the ground Ringed Plovers tend to run very quickly for a short distance and then stop quite abruptly when they see food such as insects, worms and crustaceans.   They also eat small fish, shrimps and marine snails.