John Chan / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) stamping its feet to create vibrations in the sand as it forages for insects, Southern California, USA, August.

David Perpinan / Male Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) arriving at nest to incubate eggs, female leaves, Scottish Borders, Scotland, UK, June.

Dave Bevan / Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) eating a marine flatworm, Norfolk, England, UK, February.

John Waters / Wide-angle shot of wetland landscape at sunset, with Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) flying to roost, Ham Wall RSPB Reserve, Somerset Levels, England, UK, February.

John Waters / Large mixed flock of Knot (Calidris canutrus), Dunlin (Calidris alpina) and Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) in flight at high tide, Steart Marshes WWT Reserve, Somerset, England, UK, December.

John Waters / Mixed flock of Wigeon (Anas penelope) and Northern lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) disturbed by hunting Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Greylake RSPB Reserve, Somerset Levels, England, UK, December.

John Waters / Slow motion clip of a flock of Northern lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) flying over a flooded marsh, Catcott Lows Nature Reserve, Somerset Levels, England, UK, December.

Nick Upton / Panning shot of partially flooded pastureland with large flocks of Wigeon (Anas penelope), Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) and Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) in flight, Gloucestershire, England, UK,...

Nick Upton / Panning shot of a flock of Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) landing on partially flooded pastureland near resting Black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa) and grazing Wigeon (Anas penelope), Gloucestershire,...

Nick Upton / Flock of Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) in flight, with Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) flying in the background, Gloucestershire, England, UK, January.

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) biologist, Ben Pearl, picking up chick from mud flat in salt pond, Eden Landing Ecological Reserve, Union City, Bay Area, California

Greg Oakley/ BIA / Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus) on beach, New South Wales, Australia

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) in broken wing display, Massachusetts

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) stretching, Massachusetts

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) with chick, Massachusetts

Gerrit Vyn / Pacific golden-plover (Pluvialis fulva) male performing distraction display pretending to have broken wing, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA. June.

David Williams / Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus) running, Thailand

Gabriel Rojo / Southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) La Pampa, Argentina

Nick Garbutt / Male Southern Lapwings (Vanellus chilensis) displaying in grasslands, Chapada dos Guimaraes, Brazil, South America.

Markus Varesvuo / Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dupius) summer, Loviisa Finland

Markus Varesvuo / Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dupius) feeding in water, Loviisa, Finland, June

Matthew Studebaker / American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica), Alaska

Danny Green / Knot (Calidris canutus) and grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) roost at high tide with numerous birds packed tightly together, Snettisham, Norfolk, October. Bookplate from Danny Green's 'The Long Jour...

Richard Steel / 2020VISION / Male Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) on the edge of a freshwater gravel pit, Hampshire, England, UK, April.

Fergus Gill / 2020VISION / Male Ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) on beach, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK, June. Did you know? When Plovers sense danger a parent bird will pretend to have a broken wing to distract predators.

Andrew Parkinson / 2020VISION / Golden plover Pluvialis apricaria Profile of an adult on open moorland. Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK Photographer.Andrew Parkinson

Andrew Parkinson / 2020VISION / Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) adult on open moorland, breeding plumage, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, May

Andrew Parkinson / 2020VISION / Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) adult on open moorland, breeding plumage, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, May

Andrew Parkinson / 2020VISION / Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) adult on open moorland, breeding plumage, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, May

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) adult in winter plumage on mudflats, The Wash, Norfolk, England, UK, December

Nick Upton / 2020VISION / Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus), Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria), Wigeon (Anas penelope) and Common Teal (Anas crecca) flying over flooded marshes in winter, with a rainbow in the background, Greylak...

Mark Hamblin / 2020VISION / Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) silhouette at sunrise on moorland, Scotland, UK, June

Steven David Miller / Masked lapwing / plover (Vanellus miles novaehollandiae) chick walking, Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia

Michel Poinsignon / Little ringed plover {Charadrius dubius} nest with four eggs camouflaged on shingle, Lorraine, France

Wild Wonders of Europe / Hermansen / Ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticulus) running, South east Republic of Ireland, June 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Bergmann / Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) Myvatn, Thingeyjarsyslur, Iceland, June 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Bergmann / Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) Myvatn, Thingeyjarsyslur, Iceland, June 2009

Roger Powell / Ringed Plover {Charadrius hiaticula} preening after bathing, Lochan, Glen Kingie, West-Inverness, Scotland, UK

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) in winter plumage on beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Paul Hobson / Golden plover chicks in nest {Pluvialis apricaria} Derbyshire, UK.

Rolf Nussbaumer / Grey / Black-bellied plover, breeding plumage {Pluvialis squatarola} Texas, USA

Rolf Nussbaumer / Ringed plover, female {Charadrius hiaticula} Norway.

Tom Vezo / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) sitting on eggs in nest on ground, Long Island, New York

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) non-breeding bird resting on one leg on shore, spring, Gulf of Mexico, Padre Island National Seashore, Texas

Tom Vezo / Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) in winter plumage, Long Island, New York

Konrad Wothe / Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) male at nest, Europe

Mike Read / Redshanks {Tringa totanus} and Grey plover {Pluvialis squatarola} at high tide roost. Hampshire, UK

Oscar Dewhurst / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) stretching wings. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. September.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) walking on lawn. Oman, April.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) with open beak, standing on rock. Oman, July.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Crab-plover (Dromas ardeola) three walking in a row on mudflat, two with food in beaks. Oman, June.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Crab-plover (Dromas ardeola) flying with crab in beak. Oman, June.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Crab-plover (Dromas ardeola) three flying, two with crabs in beaks. Oman, June.

Morley Read / Slow motion clip of an Andean lapwing (Vanellus resplendens) walking in high paramo landscape, looking for predators, Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuadorian Andes. (non-ex)

Morley Read / Slow motion clip of an Andean lapwing (Vanellus resplendens) walking in high paramo landscape, looking for predators, Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuadorian Andes. (non-ex)

Ann & Steve Toon / Kittlitz's plover (Charadrius pecuarius) egg, Zimanga game reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Loic Poidevin / African Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus senegallus) walking in grass, Masai Mara, Kenya. March.

George Sanker / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) wading at edge of Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. June.

Gabriel Rojo / Pied plover (Vanellus cayanus) on sandy bank. Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Karine Aigner / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) standing on nest with four eggs. Texas, USA. June.

Nick Upton / Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) foraging for invertebrate food on the muddy margins of a freshwater lake, Gloucestershire, UK, April.

John Chan / Female Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) returning to nest to incubate eggs, Southern California, USA, June.

Tony Heald / Ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) Svalbard, Norway, July

Staffan Widstrand / Blacksmith Plover, (Vanellus armatus) by water, Zimanga Private Nature Reserve, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Nick Upton / Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) foraging for invertebrates on the margin of a lake, Gloucestershire, England, UK, April.

Nick Upton / Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) foraging for invertebrates on the margin of a lake, Gloucestershire, England, UK, April.

Nick Upton / Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) foraging for invertebrates on the margin of a lake, Gloucestershire, England, UK, April.

Ernie Janes / Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) on mudflats feeding, Norfolk, England, UK, January.

Ernie Janes / Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) flock flying with the moon in the background,, Titchwell, Norfolk, December.

John Chan / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) brooding her chicks, Southern California, USA, June.

David Woodfall / Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) male in sand dunes with Ringed plover prey (Charadrius hiaticula), Gronant dunes, Prestatyn, Wales, UK, May.

David Woodfall / Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) male in sand dunes with Ringed plover prey (Charadrius hiaticula), Gronant dunes, Prestatyn, Wales, UK, May.

David Woodfall / Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) in machair, North Uist, Scotland, UK, June.

David Woodfall / Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) chick walking through marsh in machair habitat, Scotland, UK, June.

David Woodfall / Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) in machair marsh, Scotland, UK, June.

David Woodfall / Young lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) in flowering machair, Scotland, UK, June.

David Woodfall / Young lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) in flowering machair, Scotland, UK, June.

David Woodfall / Young lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) at edgge of marshland in machair, Scotland, UK, June.

David Woodfall / Young lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) in marsh within machair, Scotland, UK, June.

David Woodfall / Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) in cultivated machair with Black oats (Avena strigosa) North Uist, Scotland, UK.

Rod Williams / Masked lapwing or wattled plover (Vanellus miles) portrait, captive. Occurs in Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Lapwing, (Vanellus vanellus), two birds in flight over breeding territory, Scotland, UK, July.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Lapwing, (Vanellus vanellus), adult in flight over breeding territory, Scotland, UK, July.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Lapwing, (Vanellus vanellus), 2 week old chick in meadow, Scotland, UK, July.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), young chick backlit, Caithness, Scotland, UK, May.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) in flight, displaying over wetland habitat, Caithness, Scotland, UK, May.

Marie Read / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) adult brooding chicks, one chick stretching its wings after being brooded, northern Massachusetts, USA. June. Endangered species.

Marie Read / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) brooding three chicks with a fourth approaching, northern Massachusetts, USA.June. Endangered species.

Robin Chittenden / Great stone-curlew (Burhinus recurvirostris / Esacus recurvirostris) Sri Lanka.

Robin Chittenden / Great stone-curlew (Burhinus recurvirostris / Esacus recurvirostris) Sri Lanka.

Lorraine Bennery / Madagascar Plover (Charadrius thoracicus), on ground, Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, Madagascar, Vulnerable, endemic

Lorraine Bennery / Madagascar Plover (Charadrius thoracicus), on ground Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, Madagascar, Vulnerable, endemic.

Daniel Heuclin / Puna Plover (Charadrius alticola) foraging, Salar Atacama. Chile.

Lynn M. Stone / Grey plover (Pluvialis squatarola) foraging on sandy beach in late afternoon, Santa Barbara, California, USA. October.

Pedro Narra / Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) profile, Sado Estuary, Portugal. June

Pedro Narra / Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) two on beach, Sado Estuary, Portugal. October