Bird Album
Crab-plover
Dromas ardeola Paykull, 1805
325 gWeight
The crab-plover or crab plover (Dromas ardeola) is a coastal wader (shorebird).
Most records: Kenya, Madagascar, Kuwait
Where and when it's recorded
Crab-plover has been recorded at 65 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 26 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Mida CreekKenya571 records
- Nosy VeMadagascar294 records
- Al Jahra Reserve (Restricted access)Kuwait130 records
More places
- Sabaki River EstuaryKenya115 records
- South CornicheSaudi Arabia72 records
- Tidal Flats near Turtle IslandDjibouti63 records
- UrumaleiSri Lanka63 records
- San Sebastian Peninsula – Land – please consider using different hotspots for birding on the sandbars and islandsMozambique62 records
- Bandar Abbas – Velayat ParkIran61 records
- Jahra East Outfall ( al Jodailyat)Kuwait54 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The crab-plover or crab plover (Dromas ardeola) is a coastal wader (shorebird). It is the only member of the genus Dromas and the family Dromadidae. It is unique among waders in making use of ground warmth to aid the incubation of its eggs.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Crab-plover?
The Crab-plover weighs around 325 g.
Where does the Crab-plover live?
Its breeding range: Africa, Indian Ocean: sandy coasts and islands of Red Sea, Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf (northwestern Indian Ocean). It is most often recorded in Kenya, Madagascar and Kuwait.
Is the Crab-plover endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Crab-plover as Least Concern.
What does the Crab-plover eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Crab-plover in?
It belongs to the family Crab-plover (Dromadidae), order Charadriiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 325 g
- Habitat
- Coast & tidal flats
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 208 mm
- Tail
- 67 mm
- Bill
- 63 mm
- Tarsus
- 90 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa, Indian Ocean: sandy coasts and islands of Red Sea, Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf (northwestern Indian Ocean)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Crab-plover Dromadidae
- Genus
- Dromas
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Natthaphat Chotjuckdikul. ↗
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