Oriental Plover
Anarhynchus veredus
Large, long-legged, elegantly slender plover of pastures, grasslands, and lakeshore flats. Breeding male is dashing, with a pale (sometimes white) head and a bright orange chest separated from the white belly by a thick black bar. Females and nonbreeding adults are similarly stately but much duller in plumage, with brown upperparts, buffy brownish face and sides of breast, and a white belly. Dark brown underwing coverts separate Oriental from similar, smaller Caspian Plover, which has pale underwings. Flight call a loud, clipped “chip-chip-chip!”
Identification
Adult male in breeding plumage: white face, throat and fore-crown; grey-brown hind-crown, hind-neck and back; belly white, demarcated with narrow black band and then broad chestnut breast band merging into white throat. Female, juvenile and non-breeding male: generally grey-brown upperparts and white belly; pale face with white streak above eye. Measurements: length 21–25 cm; wingspan 46–53 cm; weight 95 g.Among the red-breasted Charadrius plovers, this bird is relatively large, long-legged and long-winged.
Taxonomy
Genus: Anarhynchus; Family: Charadriidae; Order: Charadriiformes.
- Scientific name
- Anarhynchus veredus
- Authority
- (Gould, 1848)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Charadriidae
- Genus
- Anarhynchus
Range and habitat
Breeds in Mongolia, eastern Russia and Manchuria; migrates through eastern China and South-East Asia to Indonesia and northern Australia. Rare in New Guinea; straggler to New Zealand and Europe four times (Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands). The oriental plover breeds in dry steppes, deserts, arid grasslands and saltpans. Its non-breeding habitat includes grasslands, salt-fields and coastal areas.
- Breeding range
- PAL : temperate inland e Asia: s Tuva and s Transbaikalia (n of Mongolia, sc Siberia), Mongolia (except far w, s) and w Inner Mongolia (nc China)
- Non-breeding range
- inland and coastal Indonesian Arch. from Java to Lesser Sundas, s New Guinea and nw to nc Australia
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
About 90% of the oriental plovers that make the long journey south overwinter in Australia and it has been estimated that there may be 160,000 individuals of this species. With a large range and no evidence of significant population decline, this species’ conservation status is rated by the IUCN as being of Least Concern.
- Population trend
- unknown
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark
Eremopterix nigriceps
Small, finchlike lark of arid zones with strong sexual dimorphism. Male is striking with black underparts, whitish cheeks, and black crown. Female is overall gray-brown overall and lightly-streaked; best identified by short, heavy bill. In flight shows dark underwing coverts and black tail (from above black tail sides). Breeds on desert plains with scattered bushes. Song is a repetitive short phrase of clear, high-pitched whistles. Call is a short, buzzing "Zzz" or "Zik, zik…"
Mottled Owl
Strix virgata
A common, fairly large owl of tropical lowlands and foothills. Found in forests, woodlands, plantations, gardens, and towns. Roosts during the day at all levels in dense cover of taller trees, but at night it often hunts from low perches such as fence posts and road signs. Note the rounded head, brown eyes framed with whitish crescents on either side of the bill, and overall brown plumage that is streaked below. Varied gruff hoots can suggest a dog barking.
Serra Antwren
Formicivora serrana
Small, strikingly-plumaged antbird with a long tail and a very restricted range. Inhabits the understory of low stature or regenerating forests, forest edges, scrub, and abandoned plantations where it is very active and occasionally joins mixed-species flocks. Much plumage variation, with coastal males near Rio de Janeiro (formerly split as Restinga Antwren) being almost uniformly sooty-black with only slightly grayer back and spotted white wingbars. Two more northerly subspecies vary between rufous-brown and dark gray above, but both are black below with a bold white eyebrow and white wing spots. In all subspecies, females are pale whitish below and brown above with a bold white eyebrow. Male song is a monotonous series of harsh chip notes; female gives nasal squeaks.
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