Plovers are wetland or shorebirds, found on mudflats. Of 64 species worldwide, 27 species are native to Africa.
The Crowned Plover (Vanellus coronatus) has yellow eyes.
The Spur-Winged Plover (Vanellus spinosus) has red eyes.
The Long-Toed Plover (Vanellus charadrius crassirostris) has cherry-red eyes with black pupils.
The Crowned Plover has a black and white crown (top of head).
The Spur-Winged Plover has a black crown.
The Long-Toed Plover has a white crown.
The Crowned Plover has a grey throat.
The Spur-Winged Plover has a white throat with a black strip from chin to chest.
The Long-Toed Plover has a white throat.
The Crowned Plover has a pink beak and pink legs.
The Spur-Winged Plover has a black beak and black legs.
The Long-Toed Plover has a pink beak with a dark tip and pink legs with long toes.
Crowned Plover (left), Spur-Winged Plover (middle), and Long-Toed Plover (right)
Crowned Plover
Spur-Winged Plover
Long-Toed Plover
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM