Crab Plover

Dromas ardeola

Order:

Family:

Charadriidae, Dromadidae

Size:

40 to 45 centimeters (16 to 18 inches)

Weight:

400 to 600 grams (14 to 21 ounces)

Taxonomy:

Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.

Short Description:

The Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola) is a distinctive bird species with striking black and white plumage. It has a long, slender body with a black head, neck, and upperparts, contrasting with white underparts. The Crab Plover has a robust, slightly curved bill adapted for catching and eating crabs, its primary food source. Its legs are relatively short, and it has webbed feet, enabling it to move easily across sandy and muddy shores.

Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast

In Pakistan, Crab Plovers are primarily found along the coastal areas of the country, including sandy beaches, mudflats, and estuaries. They are distributed along the coastline from the Arabian Sea in the south to the coastal areas of Balochistan and Sindh provinces. Crab Plovers prefer habitats with extensive intertidal zones where they can find ample food resources, particularly crabs.

Crab Plovers are highly specialized feeders, primarily preying on crabs, which they catch using their powerful bills. They are often observed probing into the sand or mud with their bills in search of buried crabs. Crab Plovers are also known to feed on other crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish found in intertidal areas. During the breeding season, Crab Plovers form breeding colonies on sandy or sparsely vegetated islands along the coast. They construct simple scrape nests in the sand, where they lay their eggs. Crab Plovers are monogamous and both parents participate in incubating the eggs and raising the chicks.