Plovers of South Africa
20 plovers recorded in South Africa on the eBird network and profiled in the Birbs encyclopedia — the full list, with photos, sounds and ID notes, plus what's near you now.
20 plovers have been recorded in South Africa on eBird, the global citizen-science database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and carry a full profile in the Birbs encyclopedia. Every bird below is a member of this group — the family Charadriidae. Start with the well-known species, browse the complete list, then check which are being reported near you right now.
See birds reported near you → Get rare-bird alerts
Plovers of South Africa to know first
African Wattled LapwingVanellus senegallus
American Golden PloverPluvialis dominica
Black-winged LapwingVanellus melanopterus
Blacksmith LapwingVanellus armatus
Caspian PloverAnarhynchus asiaticus
Chestnut-banded PloverAnarhynchus pallidus
Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
Crowned LapwingVanellus coronatus
Greater Sand PloverAnarhynchus leschenaultii
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarola
Kittlitz’s PloverAnarhynchus pecuarius
Long-toed LapwingVanellus crassirostris
Pacific Golden PloverPluvialis fulva
Senegal LapwingVanellus lugubris
Spur-winged LapwingVanellus spinosus
Tibetan Sand PloverAnarhynchus atrifrons
White-crowned LapwingVanellus albiceps
White-fronted PloverAnarhynchus marginatus
The full list — 20 plovers of South Africa in our library
- African Wattled Lapwing
- American Golden Plover
- Black-winged Lapwing
- Blacksmith Lapwing
- Caspian Plover
- Chestnut-banded Plover
- Common Ringed Plover
- Crowned Lapwing
- Greater Sand Plover
- Grey Plover
- Kittlitz’s Plover
- Little Ringed Plover
- Long-toed Lapwing
- Pacific Golden Plover
- Senegal Lapwing
- Spur-winged Lapwing
- Three-banded Plover
- Tibetan Sand Plover
- White-crowned Lapwing
- White-fronted Plover
Keep exploring
- Birds of South Africa
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of South Africa (51 species)
- Old World Flycatchers & Chats of South Africa (42 species)
- Sandpipers & Allies of South Africa (37 species)
- Petrels & Shearwaters of South Africa (35 species)
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of South Africa (33 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of South Africa (33 species)
- Cisticolas & Allies of South Africa (32 species)
- Larks of South Africa (27 species)
- Weavers of South Africa (25 species)
- Wagtails & Pipits of South Africa (24 species)
- Waxbills & Munias of South Africa (23 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of South Africa (21 species)
- Swallows & Martins of South Africa (19 species)
- Cuckoos of South Africa (18 species)
Plovers in other regions
- Plovers of Australia (22 species)
- Plovers of Kenya (22 species)
- Plovers of Tanzania (22 species)
- Plovers of India (21 species)
- Plovers of the United Kingdom (19 species)
- Plovers of the United States (19 species)
- Plovers of France (18 species)
- Plovers of Indonesia (18 species)
- Plovers of Spain (18 species)
- Plovers of the Netherlands (18 species)
Species and counts come from the eBird network; "recorded" means reported by birders to eBird. Family grouping follows the IOC World Bird List. Tap any bird for its full profile.
Frequently asked questions
How many plovers are found in South Africa?
20 plovers that we profile appear on South Africa's eBird-reported checklist. The full A–Z list is on this page; the real total can shift as eBird records are added.
Are all of these plovers really found there?
Yes — each one is on South Africa's eBird checklist (reported by birders to the Cornell Lab's eBird), and each of these plovers belongs to the family group named on this page. We don't rank them by abundance, because that varies by season and locale.
Where can I see plovers in South Africa right now?
Use Birds Near You for live, location-based reports, or turn on rare-bird alerts to hear when a notable one shows up close to you.