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: Charadrius 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: Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Malaysian Plover, Lesser 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: Data Deficient (BirdLife International 2016)

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

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Records currently under review are also not displayed. For a full list, click here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

White-faced Plover at Changi Cove. Photo credit: Francis Yap
White-faced Plover at Changi Cove. Photo credit: Francis Yap
White-faced Plover at Marina East Drive. Photo credit: Francis Yap
White-faced Plover at Marina East Drive. Photo credit: Francis Yap
White-faced Plover, male, at Marina Barrage. Photo Credit: See Toh Yew Wai
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. (2016). Charadrius dealbatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22735615A95115530.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.). White-faced Plover. Retrieved on May 30, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/white-faced-plover.