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Great ringed plover. Vilsandi

As Birds of the Year 2012 the Estonian Ornithological Society has chosen the plovers. There are two breeding species in Estonia – the common or great ringed plover and the little plover. They look very similar but have quite different modes of life: the greater ringed plover is found on the coast, the little plover lives mainly in landscapes influenced by man. Approximately 1000-2000 pairs of both breed in Estonia and they are also scarce passing migrants. While the numbers of the little plover has remained fairly constant after the great decline in the 1990s then the number of the great plover has become four times smaller in fifty years and the decline continues.
Although they are often active close to people the species are not particularly well known and little is known of their life both in Estonia and elsewhere in Europe. We have to do with interesting birds whose peculiar behaviour and breeding biology deserve more attention. With the assistance of bird enthusiasts the life, habitats, breeding ecology and migration of plovers will be observed and presented during the year of the plovers.

Little plovers displaying.

The Estonian Ornithological Society chooses a Bird of the Year already for the 18th time. Selecting the Bird of the Year aims to present a bird species, or a group of species that occur in Estonia, to the public and to enrol the assistance of nature friends in research and protection of the bird of the year. Current and earlier birds of the year are presented on the EOÜ home page: