Charadrius wilsonia
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Wilson's plover (Anarhynchus wilsonia) is a small bird of the family Charadriidae. It was named after the Scottish-American ornithologist Alexander Wilson by his friend George Ord in 1814. Wilson's plover is a coastal wader which breeds on both coasts of the Americas from the equator northwards. Its range extends north to include much of the U.S. eastern seaboard, and the Pacific coast of Mexico on the west.
It is a partial migrant. Birds leave the United States, except Florida, to winter south in Brazil. Some Mexican birds leave in winter for Peru. Furthermore, a small resident population is known from Brazil, it being named as a new subspecies, brasiliensis, in 2008. In 2012 it was established that this is a junior synonym, and the correct name for the subspecies is crassirostris. This also means that one of the subspecies of the greater sand plover had to be renamed.
This strictly coastal plover nests on a bare scrape on sandy beaches or sandbars. The breeding male has a black breast band, lores and forecrown, and a rufous mask. Females and non-breeding males have a similar plumage, but the black of the breeding male is replaced by brown...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Las Baulas Marine National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Carara National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 9 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 11 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Luís | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 3 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Wilson's Plover sighting in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, based on 192 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 29th most-seen of the 173 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Wilson's Plover in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, against under 5% in November to February, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 11 parks where we can rate Wilson's Plover sightings, Padre Island National Seashore ranks 4th at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 30%), Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 30%) and Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park (Mexico, about 30%).
Same genus: Charadrius
The closest relatives of the Wilson's Plover that you can see in Padre Island National Seashore (genus Charadrius, Holarctic Ringed Plovers and Allies) are Piping Plover (about 40%), Snowy Plover (about 30%) and Killdeer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Wilson's Plover is recorded against all the birds logged in Padre Island National Seashore (192 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
