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9

Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) Size: 15-17 cm; wing span 43-45 cm Weight: 40-44 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Kentish Plovers are very small waders. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e., at least during the breeding season, males and females are slightly different. Breeding males, except for narrow black breast side patches, have an all-white front, from frons to undertail coverts. The neck has a complete white collar band, while the cap is black above the frons, brownish-grey at the top and rufous on the hindneck. Below the collar band, the rest of the back, including the folded upperwings, is brownish-grey. When visible, the uppertail shows white sides and a black centre. The primaries and the trailing edge of the wings are black, with a broad white wing bar near the trailing edge. Breeding females have brownish-grey breast side patches, cap and sides of the head, with a thin buff stripe behind each eye. Otherwise they resemble males. In eclipse the two sexes look alike, with less white on the collar and forehead than females during the breeding season. The irises of both sexes are dark. The black bill is slender; legs and feet are dark-grey to black. Juveniles have less conspicuous breast side patches than adults and their legs can be grey to greenish.

Taxonomy, classification See Kentish Plover at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Kentish Plover is available HERE . Kentish Plovers are a partly migratory, partly sendentary species that populates primarily parts of Africa and Eurasia. There are 3 extant races: nominate race "alexandrinus", "seebohmi" and "dealbatus". Their overall range extends from the islands of the eastern North Atlantic (Azores, Capeverdian Islands) in the West to Japan in the East. At subtropical latitudes they are primarily sedentary along the coastlines within that range, but they are also found in inland areas. In the South their range encompasses northern Africa around the Sahara desert, the Arabian peninsula, much of the Indian subcontinent and basically all coastlines of far south-eastern Asia. In the North of their range they are breeding migrants, along the (north-)western European coastlines and throughout central Asia and parts of Japan. For details see e.g. Wikipedia . In Australia Kentish Plovers are very rare vagrants. Prior to the sightings along the coastline of Sydney, NSW, one of which is reported here, Kentish Plovers had been reported from only two other locations: In Darwin, NT (1988, 1990), and at the Farquhar Inlet, near Old Bar, NSW (2002). During the breeding season Kentish Plovers have a preference for mudflats or sparsely vegetated areas in both coastal wetlands and around fresh water. Outside the breeding season they are a predominantly coastal species that is often found on beaches.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "alexandrinus" B. Hensen reports finding a Kentish Plover, nominate race "alexandrinus"(?), at Bonna Point Reserve, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW, in December 2019. M. Eaton spotted a Kentish Plover, nominate race "alexandrinus"(?), at the Noosa North Shore, Noosa Heads, QLD, in February 2020. Kentish Plovers, nominate race "alexandrinus", were also found in Europe.

Photos

Race "alexandrinus"(?)

ADULT

BREEDING

Photos of Kentish Plovers, nominate race "alexandrinus", in breeding plumage are available from Europe.

NON-BREEDING

Sex unknown

Near-frontal view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bonna Point Reserve, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW, December 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bonna Point Reserve, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW, December 2019]

Lateral view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bonna Point Reserve, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW, December 2019]

Lateral view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bonna Point Reserve, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW, December 2019]

Lateral view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage displaying its underwings in an aborted take-off
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bonna Point Reserve, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW, December 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bonna Point Reserve, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW, December 2019]

Dorsal view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Noosa North Shore, Noosa Heads, QLD, February 2020]

Dorsal view of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Noosa North Shore, Noosa Heads, QLD, February 2020]

Direct comparison of a Kentish Plover in non-breeding plumage with two male Red-capped Plovers in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bonna Point Reserve, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW, December 2019]

Behaviour

This Kentish Plover displayed a habit of hiding/roosting in shallow depressions in the sand (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bonna Point Reserve, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW, December 2019]

This Kentish Plover displayed a habit of hiding/roosting in shallow depressions in the sand (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bonna Point Reserve, Kurnell, Sydney, NSW, December 2019]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Thu, 27 February 2020, 19:00 +00:00