The Mountain Plover Doesn't Actually Live In The Mountains

The mountain plover is a rather curiously-named bird that you certainly won’t find in the mountains. Rather, this small bird inhabits the high central plains of North America from Montana to New Mexico.

If its name wasn’t confusing enough, its family history certainly is. The mountain plover is a member of the Charadriidae family, a group of shorebirds that occur all over the world; however, the mountain plover lives about as far away from the ocean as is possible.

The mountain plover is a little smaller than an American robin, and is an insectivore that forages the ground for a variety of small prey. Mountain plovers prefer a short grass prairie habitat, but will make use of prairie dog towns to provide breeding habitat in tallgrass prairie areas if necessary. Though not considered endangered, these birds are classified as near threatened by the IUCN.

Symbiosis - Crocs and Plovers

It's an old joke, but here goes. What's worse than a giraffe with a sore throat? Why, a crocodile with a toothache, of course. But the crocodiles along the Nile don't have much to worry about thanks to the Eqyptian Plover.

Crocodiles are rather messy eaters. Their jaws can open and close, but can not move from side to side, neither can they use their tongues to propel food around their mouths. The arrangement of their teeth—still in prehistoric form—does not allow them to chew. All of this simply means that the crocodile is a biter, tearer and gulper of food. Such practices mean a lot of food gets caught in a crocodile's teeth, attracting parasites, bacteria and leeches.

You'd think that would lead to one sore mouth, and it would if not for the Egyptian Plover. Crocodiles invite the plover over for a meal by beaching themselves, opening their mouths wide and remaining very still. The plover will approach and actually enter the croc's mouth. Once there, the bird will set about gobbling food scraps and parasites. Another win/win.

This great photo was taken by Wally Irwin.