© Armando Caldas
Habitat: from southern Europe to Japan and in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, the southern United States and the Caribbean
Status: Least Concern
When I first laid eyes on this bird I actually thought I was looking at a stuffed animal. Seriously, it was just that unbelievably cute that, well, I just didn’t believe it was alive. I came to find out – and I’m very thankful for this – that these are actually REAL creatures called Kentish Plovers or Snowy Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus).
These small wader birds grow up to reach 15–17 cm long with skinny black legs and thin beak. They can be found along sandy coasts and brackish inland lakes which is where they choose to nest and raise their young. If I was a mamma plover I would be very proud to have such an exceptionally cute child. And not only are they cute to look at, but they are also quite obedient. If mom signals trouble (like a human approaching to get a swift kiss in) the chicks flatten themselves on the ground to ‘hide’ from danger. Pretty adorable, huh?
