Bird Guide

Siberian Sand Plover vs White-fronted Plover

Siberian Sand Plover (Anarhynchus mongolus)

Siberian Sand Plover

Anarhynchus mongolus

This chunky plover is long-legged and long-billed. Breeding males have grey backs and white underparts. The breast, forehead and nape are chestnut, and there is a black eye mask. The female is duller, and winter and juvenile birds lack the chestnut, apart from a hint of rufous on the head. Legs are dark and the bill black. In all plumages, this species is very similar to the greater sand plover, Charadrius leschenaultii.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) · CC BY 3.0
White-fronted Plover (Anarhynchus marginatus)

White-fronted Plover

Anarhynchus marginatus

Small48 gCoastal

The average white-fronted plover weighs approximately 45-50 g, and the two sexes differ slightly in plumage coloration. Adult male plovers show a white forecrown and supercilium, with a dark band crossing the mid crown, with the rest of the crown a sandy grey colour. The face is mainly white, with a blackish brown stripe running from behind the eye to the ear coverts. The mantle, back, and rump is light greyish brown, with pale brown to grey fringing feathers. The upper covert and central feathers of the tail are black, and the lateral feathers are white. Voice: The voice of a white-fronted plover is often a gentle piping wit, woo-et, twirit, and tirit-tirit, as well as pi-peep. When a plover is defending a territory, a harsh chiza-chiza can be heard, followed by a purrr or squeak. When the incomplete egg set is visited, a croo sound is called, and during incubation a short clirrup sound or clup is made when alarmed.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Di Turner · CC0

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Siberian Sand Plover and White-fronted Plover.