Taken yesterday at the Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve near Beaufort, NC. I'm pretty sure it's some kind of Plover but I'm not sure what kind. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
This is a Black-bellied Plover in basic plumage. The only other similar species (that you are likely to encounter) is American Golden Plover, which has a thinner bill, much longer tarsus, and very long wings as compared to this bird. More generally, Black-bellied Plovers are quite common in salt water wetlands, and goldens typically stick to freshwater and more typically wet grasslands (e.g. sod farms).
ID?
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