Charadrius dubius -- Scopoli, 1786 ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- -- Common names: Little Ringed ; Petit Gravelot European Red List Assessment European Red List Status LC -- Least Concern, (IUCN version 3.1) Assessment Information Year published: 2015 Date assessed: 2015-03-31 Assessor(s): BirdLife International Reviewer(s): Symes, A. Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Van den Bossche, W., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L. Assessment Rationale European regional assessment: Least Concern (LC) EU27 regional assessment: Least Concern (LC)

In Europe this species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern in Europe.

Within the EU27 this species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern in the EU27. Occurrence Countries/Territories of Occurrence Native: Albania; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine; United Kingdom; Gibraltar (to UK) Vagrant: Ireland, Rep. of Population The European population is estimated at 134,000-262,000 pairs, which equates to 269,000-524,000 mature individuals. The population in the EU27 is estimated at 74,500-108,000 pairs, which equates to 149,000-217,000 mature individuals. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Trend In Europe the population size is estimated to be decreasing by less than 25% in 15 years (three generations). In the EU27 the population size is estimated to be stable. For details of national estimates, see Supplementary PDF. Habitats and Ecology This species is fully migratory in much of its range. The European population migrates across the Sahara Desert between late-July and early September (leaving breeding grounds June to mid-July) to reach wintering grounds in tropical Africa from late-August onwards. These populations return to their breeding grounds from mid-March, where they breed April-June (Europe) (Wiersma et al. 2013). This species is mainly solitary throughout the non-breeding season and on migration, occasionally occurring in flocks of not more than 10 individuals (Cramp and Simmons 1983, Hayman et al. 1986, Wiersma et al. 2013). It also breeds singly or in loose neighbourhood groups spaced 7–200 m apart (Wiersma et al. 2013). During the breeding season this species shows a preference for bare or sparsely vegetated sandy and pebbly shores of shallow standing freshwater pools, lakes or slow-flowing rivers (Johnsgard, 1981, Cramp and Simmons 1983, Grimmett et al. 1998, Wiersma et al. 2013), including river islands, dry, stony riverbeds, sand and shingle or silt flats (Johnsgard 1981, Wiersma et al. 2013). This species may also utilise temporary artificial habitats such as gravel pits (Ratcliffe 1974, Cramp and Simmons 1983, Wiersma et al. 2013), sewage works, industrial wastelands (Cramp and Simmons 1983, Wiersma et al. 2013) and refuse tips (Cramp and Simmons 1983, Hayman et al. 1986), and may use open arable land on clay soil in exceptional circumstances (Johnsgard, 1981). The species prefers lowland habitats and is rarely found above 800 m in Europe (Cramp and Simmons 1983, Wiersma et al. 2013). The species is carnivorous, its diet consisting mainly of insects such as beetles, flies (especially larvae and pupae), ants, bugs, mayfly and dragonfly larvae, caddisflies, crickets and larval Lepidoptera, as well as spiders, freshwater shrimps and other small crustaceans, mussels, worms and snails (Johnsgard, 1981, Cramp and Simmons 1983, Urban et al. 1986, Wiersma et al. 2013). Vegetation (such as the seeds of grasses, sedges, Polygonum and Compositae) is taken rarely and is likely to be ingested incidentally along with matter (Cramp and Simmons 1983). The nest is a shallow scrape on loose sand, dry mud or on flat, bare rocks surrounded by mud or sand (Johnsgard, 1981, Urban et al. 1986), sometimes amongst sparse vegetation (Grimmett et al. 1998, Wiersma et al. 2013) in the vicinity of water, and often on small islands (Wiersma et al. 2013) or adjacent farmland (Hayman et al. 1986). Nesting pairs have also been recorded on flat gravelled roofs (Cramp and Simmons 1983). Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Aquatic - Excavations (open) suitable breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) suitable breeding Artificial/Aquatic - Wastewater Treatment Areas suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Urban Areas suitable breeding Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level suitable breeding Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes and suitable breeding Flats Altitude max. 800 m Occasional altitudinal limits Threats This species is threatened primarily by the degradation and loss of its preferred habitats (Barter 2002, Wiersma et al. 2013). Many of the species's breeding sites are also disturbed by human recreational activities (Wiersma et al. 2013). Increased flood regulation and pollution from oil and tar along the Mediterranean coast has resulted in the degradation of the breeding sites in those areas (Wiersma et al. 2013). The species may also be susceptible to outbreaks of avian botulism (Hubalek et al. 2005). Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Biological resource Fishing & harvesting Timing Scope Severity Impact use aquatic resources Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact (unintentional Declines effects: (large scale) [harvest]) Stresses Reduced reproductive success Biological resource Fishing & harvesting Timing Scope Severity Impact use aquatic resources Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact (unintentional Declines effects: (subsistence/small Stresses scale) [harvest]) Reduced reproductive success Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Human intrusions & Recreational Timing Scope Severity Impact disturbance activities Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact Declines Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects Invasive and other Clostridium Timing Scope Severity Impact problematic botulinum Future Minority (<50%) Rapid Declines Low Impact species, genes & diseases Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects Invasive and other Unspecified species Timing Scope Severity Impact problematic Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact species, genes & Declines diseases Stresses Species mortality; Reduced reproductive success Natural system Abstraction of Timing Scope Severity Impact modifications surface water Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Medium Impact (unknown use) Declines Stresses Species mortality; Species disturbance; Reduced reproductive success Natural system Dams (size Timing Scope Severity Impact modifications unknown) Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact Declines Stresses Species mortality Natural system Other ecosystem Timing Scope Severity Impact modifications modifications Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Slow, Significant Medium Impact Declines Stresses Ecosystem degradation Pollution Herbicides and Timing Scope Severity Impact pesticides Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact Declines Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Pollution Oil spills Timing Scope Severity Impact Ongoing Minority (<50%) Slow, Significant Low Impact Declines Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Species disturbance Conservation Conservation Actions Underway The species is listed on Annex II of the Bern Convention.

Conservation Actions Proposed Recreation at breeding sites needs to be controlled. Bibliography Barter, M. 2002. Shorebirds of the Yellow Sea. Wetlands International, Canberra, Australia. Barter, M. A. 2006. The Yellow Sea - a vitally important staging region for migratory shorebirds. In: Boere, G.; Galbraith, C., Stroud, D. (ed.), Waterbirds around the world, pp. 663-667. The Stationary Office, Edinburgh, UK. Cramp, S.; Simmons, K. E. L. 1983. Handbook of the of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic vol. III: waders to gulls. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Bibliography Wiersma, P., Kirwan, G.M., Christie, D.A. & Boesman, P. (2013). Little Ringed Plover ( dubius). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2013). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53825 on 15 April 2015). Grimmett, R.; Inskipp, C.; Inskipp, T. 1998. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Christopher Helm, London. Hayman, P.; Marchant, J.; Prater, A. J. 1986. Shorebirds. Croom Helm, London. Hockey, P. A. R.; Dean, W. R. J.; Ryan, P. G. 2005. Roberts birds of southern Africa. Trustees of the John Voelcker Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. Hubalek, Z., Skorpikova, V.; Horal, D. 2005. Avian botulism at a sugar beet processing plant in South Moravia (Czech Republic). Vetinarni Medicina 50(10): 443-445. Johnsgard, P. A. 1981. The , sandpipers and snipes of the world. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, U.S.A. and London. Ratcliffe, D. A. 1974. Ecological Effects of Mineral Exploitation in the United Kingdom and their Significance to Nature Conservation. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series A 339(1618): 355-372. Sparks, T. H.; Huber, K.; Bland, R. L.; Crick, H. Q. P.; Croxton, P. J.; Flood, J.; Loxton, R. G.; Mason, C. F.; Newnham, J.A.; Tryjanowski, P. 2007. How consistent are trends in arrival (and departure) dates of migrant birds in the UK? Journal of Ornithology 148: 503-511. Tanabe, S.; Senthilkumar, K.; Kannan, K.; Subramanian, A. N. 1998. Accumulation features of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochloride pesticides in resident and migratory birds from south India. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 34(3): 387-397. Urban, E. K.; Fry, C. H.; Keith, S. 1986. The birds of Africa vol. II. Academic Press, London. Map (see overleaf)