The Magellanic plover ( Pluvianellus socialis) is a rare wader endemic to southernmost South America.
Taxonomy
It was long placed in with the other plovers in the family
Charadriidae; however, behavioural evidence suggested they were distinct, and molecular studies confirmed this, suggesting that they are actually more closely related to the
, a uniquely
Antarctic family.
As such it is now placed in its own family,
Pluvianellidae.
Description
This species is in its structure and habits much like a
turnstone, but it cannot be confused with any other wader species. Its upperparts and breast are pale grey, and the rest of the underparts are white. It has short red legs, a black bill and red eyes. In young birds, the eyes and legs are yellowish in colour, and the plumage is grey overall with scaling. The call is a
coo.
Distribution and habitat
This species is not a long-distance
bird migration, although some birds move further north in southern
Argentina in winter. The species breeds inland and then moves to the coast during the winter, particularly to estuaries.
One of their preferred areas during winter is in Puerto Madryn and Península Valdes, Chubut, Argentina (Jehl 1975).
Behaviour
Breeding
This species breeds near water, usually saline lakes but there are reports of nests near rivers as well. Pairs defend territories, and both parents share
avian incubation duties. It lays two large eggs on the ground, although usually only one chick survives. One unique aspect of its behaviour and physiology is its method of feeding its chicks. Chicks are fed by regurgitating food stored in the crop, this species being the only wader to do so.
Feeding
Magellanic plovers feed on small
, picked from the ground, or from under pebbles, again like a turnstone. They have been observed collecting worms in the bill in a similar fashion to a
puffin.
Bibliography
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Shorebirds by Hayman, Marchant and Prater,
