plover by the river; riverside plover
Poetic or literary term for plovers seen along a river, often evoking a seasonal or scenic image. Not a biological species name.
The cries of the riverside plovers echoed in the evening stillness.
In haiku, riverside plovers are sometimes used as a seasonal word for winter.
Compound of 川 (kawa, 'river') and 千鳥 (chidori, 'plover'). The reading かわちどり follows standard rendaku voicing of the second element.