Alternative names: Snowy Plover; Chilean Plover; Peruvian Plover
- Charadrius alexandrinus
Identification
15-17 cm
- Upperparts greyish brown
- Underparts white
- Black legs
Female: has a grey head, lacking any black markings
Distribution
Almost worldwide.
Taxonomy
Subspecies1
- C. a. alexandrinus:
- Western Palearctic to north-eastern China; winters to Africa, southern Asia, Indonesia
- C. a. dealbatus:
- Southern Japan, Ryukyu Island and eastern China; winters to Philippines, Borneo
- C. a. seebohmi:
- C. a. nivosus (includes West Indian birds sometimes placed in C. a. tenuirostris):
- US to Mexico and West Indies; winters to Panama
- C. a. occidentalis:
The subspecies found in the Americas has been proposed split as Snowy Plover (C. nivosus including tenuirostris and occidentalis)
Habitat
Sandy coasts and brackish inland lakes, and is uncommon on fresh water.
Behaviour
Breeding
It nests in a ground scrape and lays 3-5 eggs.
Diet
Diet includes insects and other invertebrates.
Vocalisation
<flashmp3>Charadrius alexandrinus (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Wikipedia
- Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728
- Birdforum thread discussing AOU NACC proposal to split Snowy Plover and other taxonomic changes
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Kentish Plover. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 June 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Kentish_Plover
External Links


