This plover species is easily identified in breeding plumage by its orange legs, the blackish breast band and the bill which is yellow-orange with a black tip. Adults also have an orange eye ring. However, this only usually seen just before they depart to their breeding grounds. These birds are usually spotted in their non-breeding plumage. The legs are orange while the plumage is duller with a browner breast band and head band. The bill is plain black.

Common-ringed plovers have a circumpolar breeding distribution. This means they are mainly found above 60° North (latitude). It is believed that the birds that migrate to southern Africa are from the far north of their breeding range and travel 18000km to reach our shores. Along with many other migratory species, they head to the southern hemisphere for a summer holiday.

In southern Africa, these birds are a common non-breeding visitors that arrive in September and leave by April. It is estimated that there are 11 000 of these plovers along the coast in southern Africa, excluding Mozambique. However, in some areas small numbers of juveniles will stay over winter.

These birds are found in coastal habitats with a preference for muddy estuaries. That is why these birds are numerous along the Breede and hundreds of these plovers can be found on the exposed mudbanks during low tide during spring and summer.

They feed on small crustaceans (e.g. crabs, shrimps, prawns etc), marine polychaetes (segmented worms), amphipods, isopods and insects. They feed during the day and at night.

The oldest known bird was 19 years and 11 months old. The current worldwide population trend for this species is decreasing.