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

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

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

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.

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

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.

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) bird walking on ground. Inner Mongolia, China

David Woodfall / Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) male in sand dunes having just killed a Ringed plover. Gronant beach, Denbighshire, Wales, UK. Small repro only

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) walking on wet sand at Tongbiguan Nature Reserve, Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province, China, May.

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) walking on wet sand, Tongbiguan Nature Reserve, Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan province, China, May.

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Small pratincole (Glareola lactea) perched on sand at Tongbiguan Nature Reserve, Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province, China, May.

Melvin Grey / Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) adult male, winter Eilat, Israel.

Nick Hawkins / Piping plover (Charadrius melodus) tracks in sand, Nova Scotia, Canada, May.

Mike Potts / Banded plover (Charadrius falklandicus) two feeding on a mudflat. Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. January.

Hermann Brehm / Collared Plover (Charadrius collaris) , Pantanal, Brazil

Claudio Contreras / Two-banded Plover (Charadrius falklandicus), Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands, October

Claudio Contreras / Two-banded Plover (Charadrius falklandicus), banded, Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands, October

Ann & Steve Toon / Three-banded plover (Charadrius tricollaris), Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Ann & Steve Toon / Three-banded plover (Charadrius tricollaris), Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Hermann Brehm / Three-banded plover (Charadrius tricollaris) in water, with Lion (Panthera leo) sleeping nearby, Ndutu, Tanzania.

Nick Hawkins / Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) on sand beaches of Borgle's Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, September.

Sylvain Cordier / Two banded plover, (Charadrius falklandicus), adult on the nest, Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands

Sylvain Cordier / Two banded plover, (Charadrius falklandicus), near by the nest, Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) getting into breeding plumage, Oman, February

Melvin Grey / Snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) male on pale shell sand. Sanibel Island, Florida, USA. April.

Melvin Grey / Snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) male incubating eggs on pale shell sand. Sanibel Island, Florida, USA. April.

Melvin Grey / Snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) male incubating eggs on pale shell sand. Sanibel Island, Florida, USA. April.

Melvin Grey / Three-banded plover (Charadrius tricollaris) adult feeding along muddy margins. Lake Naivasha, Kenya

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) on grass, Oman, August

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) on beach, Oman, August

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) during migration, Oman, August

Gerrit Vyn / Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus) in winter plumage foraging on tidal mud flats, Rakhine State, Myanmar.

Luis Quinta / Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) chick in sand near nest, Costa da Caparica Beach, Portugal, May.

Gerrit Vyn / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) male, Chukotka, Russia. June.

Gerrit Vyn / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) male, Chukotka, Russia. June.

Gerrit Vyn / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) male incubating its eggs. Chukotka, Russia. June.

Gerrit Vyn / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) male incubating its eggs. Chukotka, Russia. June.

Gerrit Vyn / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) female. Chukotka, Russia. June.

Gerrit Vyn / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) female incubating eggs, Chukotka, Russia. June.

Gerrit Vyn / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) female incubating eggs, Chukotka, Russia. June.

Gerrit Vyn / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) female, Chukotka, Russia. June.

Gerrit Vyn / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) in winter plumage. Rakhine State, Myanmar. January.

Gerrit Vyn / Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) in winter plumage foraging on coastal tidal flats. Rakhine State, Myanmar. January.

Gerrit Vyn / Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) in winter plumage foraging on coastal tidal flats. Rakhine State, Myanmar. January.

Gerrit Vyn / Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) in winter plumage foraging on coastal tidal flats. Rakhine State, Myanmar. January.

Gerrit Vyn / Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) in winter plumage foraging on coastal tidal flats. Rakhine State, Myanmar. January.

Gerrit Vyn / Greater sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) in winter plumage with worm prey. Rakhine State, Myanmar. January.

Gabriel Rojo / Two-banded plover (Charadrius falklandicus) on shore, Chubut, Patagonia , Argentina

Mary McDonald / Pied plover (Vanellus cayanus) walking on sand bar on Cuiaba River, Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil. September.

Ben Cranke / Pied Plover (Vanellus cayanus) walking on sand bank, Mato Grosso, Pantanal, Brazil. August.

Tony Phelps / Three-banded sandplover (Charadrius tricollaris) De Hoop Vlei, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa.

Tony Phelps / Three-banded sandplover (Charadrius tricollaris) De Hoop Vlei, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa.

Markus Varesvuo / Caspian Plover (Chardrius asiaticus) Israel, March

Markus Varesvuo / Caspian Plover (Chardrius asiaticus) Israel, March

Markus Varesvuo / Great sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) at waters edge, Israel, March

Markus Varesvuo / Great sand plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) Israel, March

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) on rock, Oman, September

Mike Wilkes / Three-banded Sandplover (Charadrius tricollaris) standing on ground, Serengeti, Tanzania.

Mike Wilkes / Three-banded Sandplover (Charadrius tricollaris) brooding chick on ground, Serengeti, Tanzania.

Mike Wilkes / Three-banded Sandplover (Charadrius tricollaris) standing on ground, Serengeti, Tanzania.

Mike Wilkes / Three-banded Sandplover (Charadrius tricollaris) feeding in water, Serengeti, Tanzania.

Filippo Nucifora / Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) running over sand, Alaska

Mathias Schaef / Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), Oman

Mathias Schaef / Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), Oman

Mathias Schaef / Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), Oman

Jiri Slama / Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) pulling a worm out of the sand, Florida

LYNN M. STONE / Black-Bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) winter plumage, on sand of Tampa Bay shore, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

LYNN M. STONE / Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) on sand beach. St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, April.

Tony Heald / Kittlitz's sand plover (Charadrius pecuarius) in breeding plumage, Etosha National Park, Namibia October

Tony Heald / Kittlitz's sand plover (Charadrius pecuarius) juvenile, Etosha National Park, Namibia October

Loic Poidevin / Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) in profile on wet sand. Breton Marsh, French Atlantic Coast, January.

Andrew Parkinson / Ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula) portrait on beach, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK, September.

Ernie Janes / Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) on beach, UK. March

Ernie Janes / Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) on beach, UK. March

Patricio Robles Gil / Pied Lapwing / Plover (Vanellus cayanus) walking on river sand. Parana, Southern Brazil.

Pete Oxford / Three-banded Plover / Three-banded Sandplover(Charadrius tricollaris) in shallow water. Kruger National Park, South Africa, December.

Pete Oxford / Three-banded Plover / Three-banded Sandplover(Charadrius tricollaris) in shallow water. Kruger National Park, South Africa, December.

Tony Heald / Three-Banded Plover (Charadrius tricollaris) by water. Etosha National Park, Namibia, January.

Eric Baccega / Tracks of Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) in sand, St Lawrence gulf, Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick, Canada

Eric Baccega / Tracks of Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) in sand, St Lawrence gulf, Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick, Canada

Eric Baccega / Semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) walking on sand, St Lawrence gulf, Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick, Canada, September

LYNN M. STONE / Black-Bellied / Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) in non-breeding plumage, on tidal sand flat while on spring migration; Tampa Bay, Florida, USA

Pete Oxford / Masked Lapwing / Plover (Vanellus miles) on sand of Moreton Bay, off Queensland Coast.

Anup Shah / Portrait of Three-banded plover (Charadrius tricollaris) wading in a shallow pool. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March

Guy Edwardes / Piping plover (Charadrius melodus) pulling prey from sand, Fort De Soto, Florida, USA, March

Jerry Monkman / Piping plover nest {Charadrius melodus} with four eggs on sand, Long Beach, Stratford, Connecticut, USA. Adjacent to the Great Meadows Unit of McKinney National Wildlife Refuge.

Sebastian Kennerknecht / Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) male hiding in sand depression, Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Lesser sand plover {Charadrius mongolus} winter plumage, Sohar, Oman

Pete Oxford / Kittlitz's plover (Charadrius pecuarius) Lake Tsimanampetsotsa soda lake, Tsimanampetsotsa Special Reserve. sw coast of MADAGASCAR, ringed for research

Nature Production / Lesser Sandplover {Charadrius mongolus} foraging in a rice field in spring, Japan

Gabriel Rojo / Three banded sand plover {Charadrius tricollaris} Santa Lucia estuary, Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Gabriel Rojo / Three banded sand plover {Charadrius tricollaris} Santa Lucia estuary, Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Gabriel Rojo / Three banded sand plover {Charadrius tricollaris} Santa Lucia estuary, Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Gabriel Rojo / Three banded sand plover {Charadrius tricollaris} Santa Lucia estuary, Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa