Kentish Plover

Migrant and winter visitor. Mostly coastal, favouring sandy beaches over mudflats.

Small plover with white collar, plain pale brown upperparts. Breastband usually incomplete. Legs dark grey to pale pink. Bill relatively sharp and fine. In flight, white wing-bar and tail sides; toes do not usually project beyond tail. Ad B ♂︎: bright orange crown, black frontal band, ear coverts, lores, breast patches. Ad B♀︎: Lack black and bright orange; some become more rufous in breeding plumage. Nb/Imm: Sexes similar, lacking black and orange tones.

From sand plovers by white collar, shorter legs and finer bill. From Malaysian Plover by longer body, finer bill and plain brown upperparts. From White-faced Plover by darker brown upperparts, more extensively brown ear coverts, longer breast patches and lack of white edges to coverts. From extralimital Javan Plover A. javanicus by slighter bill, shorter (and usually darker) legs, less attenuated rear and lack of orange tones in breast patches, nape and rear ear coverts.

Forages by using rapid dashes interspersed by short pauses. Feeds on small crabs, marine worms, etc.

Present in small numbers (c<50) almost anywhere in the intertidal zone. Larger numbers occur on sandy beaches than mudflats.

Most frequently seen between October and March.