Anarhynchus mongolus
The Siberian Sand Plover (Anarhynchus mongolus), a captivating long-distance migrant, is a compact, medium-sized shorebird within the Charadriidae family, closely related to the Greater Sand Plover. Measuring 17-20 cm in length with a wingspan of 45-55 cm and weighing 42-73 grams, its upright posture and short, dark bill are characteristic. In stunning breeding plumage, males exhibit a striking rufous-orange breast band, a distinct black eye-stripe forming a mask, and a prominent white forehe...
Breeds on sparse, stony tundra, alpine steppes, and high mountain plateaus. During migration and winter, it favors coastal habitats including sandy beaches, intertidal mudflats, and rocky shores.
Primarily insect larvae, marine worms, and small crustaceans gleaned from the surface or just beneath the substrate of intertidal zones and wet tundra. It forages by visual darting and pecking.
Siberian Sand Plovers are typically diurnal, actively foraging during low tide periods and often congregating to roost in large, sometimes mixed-species, flocks on higher ground or sandy spits during high tide. Their foraging strategy involves the characteristic plover "run-stop-peck" method, vis...
The Siberian Sand Plover has an extensive breeding range across high-latitude and high-altitude regions of central and eastern Asia. The 'mongolus' group (nominate *mongolus* and *stegmanni*) primarily breeds in northeastern Siberia (e.g., Chukotka, Koryak Highlands) and parts of Mongolia, favori...
Least Concern
- The Siberian Sand Plover was recently reclassified from the genus *Charadrius* to *Anarhynchus*, reflecting its unique evolutionary lineage and distinct bill morphology. - These plovers undertake epic migrations, traveling thousands of kilometers from Arctic breeding grounds to tropical winteri...