plover
Refers to various small wading birds of the family Charadriidae, commonly seen near water. The word is often used in poetry and place names.
Plovers are running along the water's edge at the beach.
I can hear the call of a plover.
千鳥 refers to a specific staggered pattern, especially in compounds like 千鳥格子, whereas 互い違い is the general term for any alternating or staggered arrangement.
counter for birds; counter for rabbits
tottering steps; drunken staggering
houndstooth pattern; hound's-tooth check
fragrant orchid · rocket larkspur
flock of plovers; flocking plovers
Oriental plover; Oriental dotterel
little ringed plover
plover by the river; riverside plover
plover on the beach; beach plover
Oriental pratincole; swallow-plover
Standard kanji spelling; commonly used in names and literary contexts.
Katakana spelling used especially in biological contexts or field guides.
Kana spelling is usual in everyday writing.
Rare variant kanji; not commonly used.
Rare variant kanji; not commonly used.
The word ちどり is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 千鳥 literally means 'thousand birds', but the exact derivation of the name is uncertain; it may refer to the bird's flocking behavior or its rapid, fluttering flight.
Kentish plover
many birds; various kinds of birds · plover · Japanese bush warbler; Japanese nightingale