Melanie
Well-known member
Observations involving several pale Charadrius plovers associating with Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus
in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, which do not resemble any known taxon, are
discussed. Evidence is presented which establishes that these birds are Aegialites [Charadrius] dealbatus,
described by Robert Swinhoe in 1870 as a species distinct from Kentish Plover. Subsequent confusion has
resulted in this name being applied to the form of Kentish Plover that occurs in abundance in East and
South-East Asia, while the true taxon dealbatus has been overlooked by almost all subsequent taxonomists,
and mistakenly described and illustrated as Kentish Plover in all studies of this taxon. This paper
suggests that this confusion arose, in part, due to misconceptions over the appearance of dealbatus,
which resulted in many museum specimens of Kentish Plover from East Asia being incorrectly identified
and erroneously labeled as dealbatus.
http://www.birdlifeindochina.org/birdlife/report_pdfs/babbler27.pdf
in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, which do not resemble any known taxon, are
discussed. Evidence is presented which establishes that these birds are Aegialites [Charadrius] dealbatus,
described by Robert Swinhoe in 1870 as a species distinct from Kentish Plover. Subsequent confusion has
resulted in this name being applied to the form of Kentish Plover that occurs in abundance in East and
South-East Asia, while the true taxon dealbatus has been overlooked by almost all subsequent taxonomists,
and mistakenly described and illustrated as Kentish Plover in all studies of this taxon. This paper
suggests that this confusion arose, in part, due to misconceptions over the appearance of dealbatus,
which resulted in many museum specimens of Kentish Plover from East Asia being incorrectly identified
and erroneously labeled as dealbatus.
http://www.birdlifeindochina.org/birdlife/report_pdfs/babbler27.pdf
