White-faced Plover

White-faced Plover
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Anarhynchus dealbatus

Malay Name: Rapang Pantai Cina

Chinese Name: 白脸鸻

Range: Found from south and southeast China with some population wintering south to the coasts of mainland Southeast Asia and Sumatra

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 16 cm

Identification: Formerly considered a subspecies of Kentish Plover. Non-breeding adult resembles Kentish Plover but is bigger and has more white on forehead, shorter/narrower lateral breast-band and distinctively pinkish-toned legs. Breeding male is distinguished from breeding male Kentish Plover by the lack of black eye-stripe while breeding female resembles non-breeding adult but crown, lores, ear-coverts strongly rufous- to orange-toned.

Similar looking species: Kentish Plover, Malaysian Plover, Tibetan Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Javan Plover

Habitat: Sandy beaches and suitable coastal habitats.

Behaviour/Ecology: Have been observed wintering in Singapore and form flocks with Kentish Plovers and Lesser Sand Plovers.

Local Status: Uncommon migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2023)

Featured reports: Mar 2022, Sep 2022, Oct 2022, Nov 2022, Dec 2022, Jan 2023, Feb 2023, Mar 2023, Sep 2023, Oct 2023, Nov 2023, Dec 2023, Jan 2024, Feb 2024, Mar 2024, Oct 2024, Nov 2024, Dec 2024, Jan 2025, Feb 2025, Mar 2025

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

White-faced Plover Anarhynchus dealbatus
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak weeks Jan 01-Jan 07, Jan 08-Jan 14, Jan 15-Jan 21 (4 more)
Early date 16 Sep 2017
Late date 10 Apr 1994
While the earliest records are are in Sep, this species is only really regular from end Oct to Feb, when recently many birds have been observed wintering at Marina East.
White-faced Plover at Changi Cove. Photo credit: Francis Yap
White-faced Plover at Marina East. Photo credit: Jared Tan
White-faced Plover at Marina East Drive. Photo credit: Francis Yap
White-faced Plover at Marina East. Photo credit: Jared Tan

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (White-faced Plover)

References:

BirdLife International. (2023). Charadrius dealbatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2023. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T22735615A154437862.en. Accessed on 25 December 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.). White-faced Plover. Retrieved on April 29, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/white-faced-plover.

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