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).
A form discovered in southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China) and commonly named White-faced Plover may belong to this species or form a full species. It seems that this birds were originally described as dealbatus, a name that later was accidentally transferred to the dealbatus subspecies of today.
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


