Plovers & Lapwings in Essex

5 species matching this filter.

All birds in EssexView family page

Essex is home to five species of plovers and lapwings, drawn to the county's expansive coastal mudflats, estuarine marshes, and open farmland. The Thames Estuary and the coastline around the Dengie Peninsula provide vital wintering grounds for Golden Plover and Grey Plover, while Little Ringed Plover can be found breeding at inland gravel pits during the summer months. The Northern Lapwing, once a common sight across Essex's arable fields, remains an iconic species of the county's open landscapes.

Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed PloverSmallest · 14cm
to
Northern Lapwing
Northern LapwingLargest · 31cm
Ranges from the Little Ringed Plover (14cm) to the Northern Lapwing (31cm)4 year-round residents
Golden Plover

Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricariaLC

An uncommon visitor to Essex farmland and coastal marshes, mainly outside summer. Winter flocks gather on ploughed fields.

Jul–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Plover

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarolaLC

Present year-round on Essex mudflats and estuaries, with numbers peaking in winter. Often seen in silver-grey plumage on the Thames estuary.

Year-round

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover

Charadrius dubiusLC

An uncommon summer breeder favouring gravel pits and reservoir margins across Essex, arriving from March and departing by September.

Mar–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Northern Lapwing

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellusNT

A common resident of farmland and coastal marshes, though breeding numbers are declining. Large winter flocks gather on arable fields across Essex.

Year-round

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ringed Plover

Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticulaLC

An uncommon resident breeding on shingle beaches and coastal margins. Numbers bolstered by passage birds in spring and autumn.

Year-round

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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