---
title: "Semipalmated Plover"
description: "Charadrius semipalmatus — Birds. The semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) is a small plover."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/semipalmated-plover
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Semipalmated Plover

> Charadrius semipalmatus — Birds. The semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) is a small plover.

- Scientific name: *Charadrius semipalmatus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `freshwater` (Lakes & rivers), `sea` (Sea & coast)
- iNaturalist observations: 43125
- Wikidata: [Q468009](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q468009)
- iNaturalist taxon: [4817](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4817)

## Names

- en: Semipalmated Plover
- de: Amerika-Sandregenpfeifer
- es: Chorlo semipalmeado
- fr: Pluvier semipalmé
- nl: Amerikaanse bontbekplevier
- pt: Batuíra-de-bando
- pl: Sieweczka skąpopłetwa

## Countries with the most observations

US (25549), CA (7578), MX (2754), BR (1566), EC (589), CR (574), PA (286), PR (240), PE (226), CO (177), NI (152), GF (139)

## Summary

The semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) is a small plover. Charadrius is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in ravines and river valleys (kharadra, "ravine"). The specific semipalmatus is  Latin and comes from  semi, "half" and palma, "palm". Like the English name, this refers to its only partially webbed feet.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semipalmated_plover

## Photo

![Semipalmated Plover](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/semipalmated-plover/medium.jpg)

Photo: steve b · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/108083983

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/semipalmated-plover?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).