Semipalmated Plover

After nesting in Canada and Alaska, the Semipalmated Plover arrives on Galveston Island in late summer.  The name, semipalmated, refers to partial webbing between the bird’s toes.  When foraging, they usually run a few steps, pause, and repeat until they find insects, crustaceans, or worms.

Kristine Rivers explains in her Top 5 Early Birds blog:

“This incredibly cute little shorebird can be recognized by its dark brown back and white belly, single black band around the throat, yellow-orange legs, and tiny two-toned bill that is orange at the base and dark at the tip. Look for them foraging in large flocks in the mudflats along 8 Mile Road on the West End, on beaches in the West End pocket parks, and on East Beach.”