Wildlifeof Nepal
Kentish Plover
ShorebirdsCharadrius alexandrinus
Basic stats
Diet
Insects and larvae, molluscs, crustaceans, spiders and marine worms
Habitat
Saline or alkaline lake shores, lagoons, coasts, dunes, marshes and semi-arid desert
Range
North Africa, Europe, and Central and East Asia including the northern Indian subcontinent; resident subspecies seebohmi in south India and Sri Lanka
Clutch size
Typically 3 eggs
Incubation period
20-25 days
Weight
40-44g
The Kentish plover is a small, pale wader weighing about 40 to 44g, with a white underside, greyish-brown back, dark legs and a dark bill. Breeding males have a black head bar, incomplete dark breast bands and a rufous nape and crown, while females are paler and lack these markings. It was moved to the genus Anarhynchus in a 2022 study (Wikipedia, general species account).
It breeds on saline or alkaline lake shores, lagoons, coasts, sand dunes and marshes, preferring low, open, moist sites away from dense vegetation and people, and forages by sight with a run-and-stop method. Clutches are typically three eggs in a shallow scrape lined with shells and pebbles, incubated by both sexes for 20 to 25 days. Its range includes inland Asia through the northern Indian subcontinent; the source does not name Nepal (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Kentish Plover eat?
- Insects and larvae, molluscs, crustaceans, spiders and marine worms
- What habitat does the Kentish Plover live in?
- Saline or alkaline lake shores, lagoons, coasts, dunes, marshes and semi-arid desert
- Where is the Kentish Plover found?
- North Africa, Europe, and Central and East Asia including the northern Indian subcontinent; resident subspecies seebohmi in south India and Sri Lanka
- How many eggs does the Kentish Plover lay?
- Typically 3 eggs
- How long are the eggs of the Kentish Plover incubated?
- 20-25 days
- How much does the Kentish Plover weigh?
- 40-44g