Lesser Sand Plover

Scientific Name: Charadrius mongolus

Malay Name: Rapang-Sisir Kecil

Chinese Name: 蒙古沙鸻

Range: Found from Central Asia to eastern Russia and northern China, wintering to Africa, Middle East, Indian subcontinent, southern China, Japan, Southeast Asia and Australia

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: pamirensis, atrifrons, schaeferi, mongolus, stegmanni.

Local Subspecies: atrifrons, schaeferi

Size: 19-21 cm

Identification: Non-breeding adult can be distinguished from Kentish Plover by broad lateral breast-patches and lack of white nuchal collar. Best separated from very similar looking Greater Sand Plover by smaller size, shorter and blunter bill, tibia obviously shorter than tarsus and dark grey to greenish-grey legs and feet. Male in breeding plumage has black forehead, lores and ear-coverts, white throat and deep orange-rufous neck-sides and breast-band. Female in breeding plumage has less obvious black and orange-rufous plumage of the male.

Similar looking species: Kentish Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Oriental Plover, White-faced Plover, Javan Plover

Habitat: Mudflats, sandy shores and coastal breakwaters.

Behaviour/Ecology: Usually congregates in flocks of several hundred at low tide feeding grounds or at high tide roosts.

Local Status: Common migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Location: Seletar Dam, Sungei Buloh, Mandai Mudflat, Pulau Ubin, Marina East Drive and Punggol Barat.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Lesser Sand Plover at Seletar Dam. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Lesser Sand Plover moulting to non-breeding plumage at Seletar Dam. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Male Lesser Sand Plover moulting to non-breeding plumage at Seletar Dam. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Lesser Sand Plover at Seletar Dam. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Non-breeding Lesser Sand Plover at Seletar Dam. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Lesser Sand-Plover)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Charadrius mongolus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22693855A93427510.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Singapore Birds Project. (n.d.). Lesser Sand Plover. Retrieved on May 31, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/lesser-sand-plover.