The ringed plover breeds from the Atlantic coast in the west across most of Europe and Asia to the Pacific coast and Japan in the east. As breeding areas, it prefers habitats with little vegetation, such as gravel pits, quarries or quarry lakes. However, these are only replacement habitats. Little ringed plovers originally lived along natural river courses with shallow, gravelly banks. The migratory bird spends the winter in Africa.

The ringed plovers like to feed on insects, larvae and small molluscs.

The little ringed plover looks for its food on the muddy bank. He repeatedly runs quickly across the mud and suddenly stops to pick something up if necessary. The nest is built in a small depression in the sand or gravel. By feigning injuries, parent animals entice predators.

The little ringed plovers are on the early warning list. The rather unsuitable breeding habitats are problematic. Due to the intensive leisure activities on beaches or gravel banks, the dirsuptions are significant. The clutches are often trampled because they are well camouflaged in the gravel. Due to low breeding success and suboptimal habitats, little ringed plover numbers have been declining in recent years.