Plovers (Charadriidae) are a small group of shorebirds (Charadriiformes). In Europe, 14 species of plovers are found, in Slovenia 9 have been observed. Plovers typically have a short bill, with which they deftly pick small animals from the surface of the ground, a short neck and a relatively stout, rounded body, which they keep in a horizontal position on fairly long legs.
Their feeding behavior is very distinctive: they run, stop, peck, then run again, stop, peck, and so on. When we stand too close to them and they no longer feel safe, they begin to nervously nod their heads, as if they don't quite know what to do. In such cases they usually fly off a short distance to safety.
They nest in areas with low vegetation, which are interspersed with patches of bare ground.
