Measurements

Linear

Limited data for Snowy Plovers suggest males might have slightly longer tarsi, tails and wings than females (Appendix 3). Data too limited for comparisons across the species’ range. Not included in Appendix 3 are Boyd’s (1972) culmen measurements of Snowy Plovers at Cheyenne Bottoms, KS: males, mean = 15.6 mm (range 15–16, n= 16); females, mean = 15.1 mm (range 14–16.5, n= 30). Kentish Plover have significantly longer tarsi than females (Fraga and Amat 1996, Lendvai et al. 2004a)

Mass

Limited data for Snowy Plovers indicate that average weights of 40-43 g are similar for the sexes (Appendix 3). There are too few data for comparisons across the species’ range. No data on seasonal shifts in body mass.

Male Kentish Plovers are reported to weigh more than females in Spain – 43.1 g ± 2.8 SD (n= 154) versus 42.2 g ± 3.0 SD (n= 158), respectively (Fraga and Amat 1996); there were seasonal differences in weights of males but not females, with male mass decreasing significantly from 46.0 g ± 1.83 SD to 42.0 g ± 3.65 SD (n= 4) between first and second nesting polygamous attempts and female’s increasing insignificantly from 41.0 g ± 6.56 SD to 47.0 g ± 4.04 SD (n= 3). In the Netherlands and France, the body mass of both sexes decreased during the breeding season (Fraga and Amat 1986).

At Tuzla, Turkey, body mass of incubating Kentish Plover females decreased during the day either from fat and or water depletion. Decrease was from 41.8 g (range 41.0-43.5) in morning, to 40.3 g (range 39.8-40.4) at mid day, to 39.8 (range 37.9-40.4) in the afternoon (Szentirmai et al. 2001).