 the bird family charadriidae includes the plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, about 64 to 66 species in all. ==description== they are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings. their bill are usually straight (except for the wrybill) and short, their toes are short, hind toe could be reduced or absent, depending on species. most charadriidae also have relatively short tails, the killdeer is the exception. in most genera, the sexes are similar, very little sexual dimorphism occurs between sexes. they range in size from the collared plover, at 26&nbsp;grams and 14&nbsp;cm (5.5&nbsp;inches), to the masked lapwing, at 368&nbsp;grams (13&nbsp;oz) and 35&nbsp;cm (14&nbsp;inches). ==distribution and habitat== they are distributed through open country worldwide, mostly in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions: the inland dotterel, for example, prefers stony ground in the deserts of central and western australia. ==behaviour and ecology== they hunt by sight, rather than by feel as longer-billed waders like snipe do. foods eaten include aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates such as insects, worms, molluscs and crustaceans depending on habitat, and are usually obtained by a run-and-pause technique, rather than the steady probing of some other wader groups. they also feed on plant material. ===breeding=== while breeding, they defend their territories with highly visible aerial displays. charadriidae are protective over their eggs and offspring. the parents protect their young by uttering an alarm call, performing distraction display and they may even attack the predator or intruder. both parents take care of their offspring. the chicks are precocial; their parents do not feed them. most species are monogamous, while less are polygamous. most members of the family are known as plovers, lapwings or dotterels. these were rather vague terms which were not applied with any great consistency in the past.
Bird_families Charadriidae