Plovers & Lapwings in Norfolk
6 species matching this filter.
Norfolk's diverse coastal habitats, estuaries, and open farmland make it one of the finest counties in Britain for observing plovers and lapwings. Six species have been recorded here, ranging from the familiar Northern Lapwing displaying over arable fields to scarce passage migrants such as the Dotterel, which stops off on coastal fields during spring migration. The county's expansive mudflats at sites like the Wash and Titchwell Marsh provide vital wintering grounds for Golden Plover, Grey Plover, and Ringed Plover.
Dotterel
Eudromias morinellusLC
A rare spring passage migrant, occasionally stopping on Norfolk's ploughed fields and short grassland in small 'trips' during May.
May
Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricariaLC
Present most of the year on Norfolk's farmland and coastal marshes, forming large winter flocks often mixed with Lapwings.
Jul–May
Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarolaLC
Found year-round on Norfolk's mudflats and saltmarshes, with numbers peaking in winter. Favours the north coast estuaries and the Wash.
Year-round
Little Ringed Plover
Charadrius dubiusLC
An uncommon summer breeder at Norfolk's gravel pits and reservoir margins, arriving in March and departing by September.
Mar–Sep
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellusNT
Common year-round on farmland and marshes, with large winter flocks gathering on the coastal grazing marshes.
Year-round
Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticulaLC
Breeds on shingle beaches and sandy shores year-round. Nesting sites along the north Norfolk coast are vulnerable to disturbance.
Year-round