Scientific Name: Anarhynchus peronii
Malay Name: Rapang Pantai Melayu
Chinese Name: 马来鸻
Range: Found throughout Southeast Asia except Java.
Taxonomy: Monotypic.
Size: 14-16 cm
Identification: Male resembles breeding male Kentish Plover but upperparts and wing-coverts with prominent pale fringes (appear scaly or mottled) and black lateral breast-patches extend in complete band below white nuchal collar. Female looks similar to male but lateral breast-band is rufous-orange and lack black crown-patch. Juvenile appears duller than female.
Similar looking species: Kentish Plover, White-faced Plover, Javan Plover
Habitat: Sandy beaches and suitable coastal habitats.
Behaviour/Ecology: Usually solitary or in pairs and sometimes in very small groups.
Local Status: Uncommon resident
Conservation Status: Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2017)
Location: Tuas, Changi, Lorong Halus, Seletar Mudflat, Pulau Semakau and the breakwaters near Marina Barrage.
- An Indonesian Archipelago Wishlist: Birds to Look Out For (Science)
- Nesting Malaysian Plovers (Science)
- Bird List Revision for May 2019 (Revisions)
- Local extinctions of Singapore birds (Science)
- Bird Calls of Singapore (Birders' Stories)
Featured reports: Jan 2024, Feb 2024, Mar 2024, Apr 2024, May 2024, Jun 2024, Jul 2024, Aug 2024, Sep 2024, Oct 2024, Nov 2024, Dec 2024, Jan 2025, Feb 2025, Mar 2025
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Malaysian Plover)
References:
BirdLife International. (2017). Charadrius peronii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22693836A110905171.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
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Malaysian Plover. Retrieved on April 29, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/malaysian-plover.