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Charadrius mongolus

(short-billed sand plover)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Afrikaans:

Mongoolse Strandkiewiet

Common Names in Dutch:

Kleine Woestijnplevier

Common Names in English:

Lesser Sand Plover, Lesser Sand-Plover, Mongolian Dotterel, Mongolian Plover, sand plover, short-billed sand plover

Common Names in French:

Gravelot mongol, Pluvier de Mongolie

Common Names in German:

Mongolenregenpfeifer

Common Names in Hebrew:

חופמי מונגולי

Common Names in Japanese:

メダイチドリ

Common Names in Russian:

Зуек монгольский, Монгольский зуек

Common Names in Spanish:

Chorlitejo Mongol Chico

Common Names in Swedish:

Mongolpipare

Description

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Physical Description

Species Charadrius mongolus





Adult alternate



Adult basic



Juvenile

Habitat

Typically found in a lake with a depth of 0 to -3,496 meters (0 to -11,470 feet).[1]

Ecology: Behaviour This species is fully migratory, with four definable groups migrating on a broad front to different wintering grounds1. In central Siberia, flocks form in early July and depart for their winter quarters in early-August to early-September (adults leaving first), to arrive in India, south Arabia and East Africa in early-August to mid-September1. Populations breeding in eastern Russia, Kamchatka, the Commander Islands and the Chukitsk Peninsula, winter from Taiwan to Australia3, leaving their breeding grounds late-July to early-September1. The population breeding in the Himalayas and southern Tibet winters in a range or areas from India to Sumatra3, returning to its breeding grounds between late-February to April (reaching them between mid-April and mid-May)1. The fourth migratory group of this species breeds in eastern Tibet and winters from Thailand to the Greater Sundas3. Many non-breeding birds may also stay in their winter quarters all year round1, 3. During the non-breeding season the species may occur singly or in flocks of up to 100 or more, but nesting pairs are solitary and territorial during the breeding season2, 4. This species is mainly diurnal but sometimes forages on moonlit nights1, 4. Habitat Breeding During the breeding season this species mainly occurs above the tree-line on mountains at altitudes of up to 5,500 m in the Himalayas (Ladakh, Sikkim, and Tibet)1, 3, 4. It inhabits barren valleys and basins in elevated tundra and mountain steppe , mainly near water (bogs ) on moist but well-drained gravelly, rocky or sandy surfaces with sparse vegetation such as salt-pans, patches of detritus , dry edges of salt-marshes and places used by herds of cattle1. In Siberia and the Commander (Komandorskiye) Islands the species also occurs at sea-level, here inhabiting sand dunes and shingle along the coast1, 3. Non-breeding The species is almost strictly coastal during the non-breeding season, preferring sandy beaches, mudflats of coastal bays and estuaries, sand-flats and dunes near the coast1, 2, occasionally frequenting mangrove mudflats (in Australia)7 and feeding on exposed coral reefs (Solomon Islands, Pacific)6. Very rarely the species also frequents coastal airfields1, and during migration it may be seen on the shores of inland lakes (e.g. the East African Great Lakes)2, 6 and rivers , or on cultivated land3, 5. Diet Breeding The breeding diet of this species includes many beetles, weevils, fly larvae, stalk worms and crabs1. Non-breeding During the non-breeding season this species takes insects, crustaceans (such as crabs and amphipods ), molluscs (particularly bivalves ) and polycheate worms1. Breeding site The nest of this species is a shallow scrape in bare sand or shingle (nesting pairs may often utilise cattle footprints ), sometimes beside bushes and big stones (or amongst lichens and Drias in the Far East)1.

List of Habitats:

Biology

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Diet

 

Primarily:

Reproduction

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 24-Jun-1996

Similar Species

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In alternate plumage, the rust breast band is diagnostic. In winter and juvenile plumages, the lack of a breastband distinguishes it from other small plovers.

Members of the genus Charadrius

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 60 species and subspecies in this genus:

C. alexandrinus (Western Snowy Plover) · C. alexandrinus alexandrinus (Snowy Plover) · C. alexandrinus dealbatus (Snowy Plover) · C. alexandrinus nivosus (Snowy Plover) · C. alexandrinus tenuirostris (Snowy Plover) · C. alticola (Puna Plover) · C. asiaticus (Caspian Plover) · C. australis (Inland Dotterel) · C. bicinctus (Banded Dotterel) · C. bicinctus bicinctus (Double-Banded Plover) · C. cinctus (Red-Kneed Dotterel) · C. collaris (Collared Plover) · C. dubius (Little Ringed Plover) · C. dubius charadrius (Little Ringed Plover) · C. dubius curonicus (Little Ringed Plover) · C. dubius dubius (Little Ringed Plover) · C. falklandicus (Two-Banded Plover) · C. forbesi (ForbesÌ Plover) · C. hiaticula (Common Ringed Plover) · C. hiaticula hiaticula (Common Ringed Plover) · C. hiaticula tundrae (Common Ringed Plover) · C. javanicus (Javan Sand Plover) · C. leschenaultii (Large Sand Dotterel) · C. leschenaultii leschenaultii (Greater Sand Plover) · C. marginatus (White-Fronted Sand Plover) · C. marginatus marginatus (White-Fronted Sand Plover) · C. melanops (Black-Fronted Plover) · C. melodus (Western Piping Plover) · C. melodus circumcinctus (Piping Plover) · C. melodus melodus (Piping Plover) · C. modestus (Rufous-Chested Dotterel) · C. mongolus (Short-Billed Sand Plover) · C. mongolus mongolus (Mongolian Plover) · C. mongolus stegmanni (Eastern Lesser Sand-Plover) · C. montanus (Mountain Plover) · C. morinellus (Eurasian Dotterel) · C. novaeseelandiae (Long-Billed Plover) · C. obscurus (Red-Breasted Dotterel) · C. obscurus obscurus (Red-Breasted Dotterel) · C. occidentalis (Snowy Plover) · C. pallidus (Chestnut-Banded Plover) · C. pecuarius (Kittlitz's Sand Plover) · C. pecuarius pecuarius (Kittlitz's Sand Plover) · C. peronii (Malaysian Sand Plover) · C. placidus (Long-Billed Ringed Plover) · C. rubricollis (Hooded Plover) · C. ruficapillus (Red-Capped Dotterel) · C. sanctaehelenae (St. Helena Sand Plover) · C. semipalmatus (Semipalmated Ring Plover) · C. thoracicus (Black-Banded Sand Plover) · C. tricollaris (Three-Banded Plover) · C. tricollaris tricollaris (Three-Banded Plover) · C. venustus (Chestnut-Banded Sand Plover) · C. veredus (Oriental Dotterel) · C. vociferous (Eastern Mew Gull) · C. vociferus (Kildeer Plover) · C. vociferus vociferus (Killdeer) · C. wilsonia (Thick-Billed Plover) · C. wilsonia beldingi (Wilson's Plover) · C. wilsonia wilsonia (Wilson's Plover)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 29, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Mean = -85.950 meters (-281.988 feet), Standard Deviation = 352.720 based on 96 observations. [back]
Last Revised: 5/8/2012