Tom Metzger* age 10, of Lancaster, Penna. , for his question:
What kind of bird is the plover?
There are some thirty six different plover cousins living throughout the world. They take the name plover from a European relative. Long ago he was named plover, meaning the rain bird, because he scolds with great annoyance when a storm is brewing: This weather forecasting is remarkable but not nearly so remarkable as some other deeds of the plover family.
These birds are world travelers on a grand scale. Some of them travel thousands of miles between their summer and their winter homes. Many of them nest in the bleak tundra land in or near the Arctic Circle. There they spend the short Arctic summer feeding on the hordes of mosquitos and other insects which thrive in the marshy ground. Come fall, they take off for warmer weather in far distant lands.
In September, certain plovers leave Alaska for Hawaii. Though plovers are wading birds, they are not good swimmers and rarely light on the watery ocean. These migrating birds, then, often fly some 2400 miles to Hawaii nonstop. In April or May, flocks of them start the long journey back to Alaska.
The dove gray surfbird of the Pacific coast is also a plover. This fellow often stands facing the incoming tide where the white surf fingers its way up the beach. He seems to enjoy a shower of fine sea spray. For a long time, no one knew where this hardy bird went in the summer months, Then his nesting grounds were discovered, of all places, high on the bleak and icy slopes of Mount McKinley in Alaska.
Considering their hardy athletic lives, you might expect the plovers to be large and husky, Not at all. Most of them measure from seven to ten inches from the tips of their dainty beaks to the tips of their dainty tails.
Their chests, however, are quite plump, for here are the powerful flying muscles used in their long migration flights. One of the loveliest of plovers is the killdeer, who nests from coast to coast. If you can study their family life, you are very lucky. The parents are graceful birds, white below and brownish above. There is a white collar around the neck and two dark necklaces below the throat.
Like most plovers, parent killdeers build their nest on the ground. There are four heavily freckled eggs which you can very easily mistake for pebbles. When you get near the nest, the devoted parents go into action. Your eye is caught by a pretty bird, limping along with one wing held sadly aloft. Naturally, you think the poor bird is hurt and you go to his aid. This is dust what you are supposed to do. The clever bird will hop and flutter, leading you farther and farther from the precious nest. Andy knew a Papa Killdeer who did this trick until his supposed broken wing got so tired he had to use the other one.