Anarhynchus dealbatus
The White-faced Plover (Anarhynchus dealbatus) is a small, charismatic shorebird of coastal East and Southeast Asia, often considered a distinct species or a subspecies of the Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus). Measuring 15-18 cm (6-7 inches) in length with a wingspan of 30-35 cm (12-14 inches) and weighing 30-50 g, it is distinguished by its strikingly clean white face and forehead, contrasting with a dark crown and an ocular stripe extending from its black bill. Breeding males exhibi...
This plover exclusively inhabits coastal environments, favoring sandy beaches, tidal flats, estuaries, salt pans, and saline wetlands at or near sea level.
Primarily insectivorous and carnivorous, consuming a wide variety of small marine invertebrates, including crustaceans, marine worms, and insects found on coastal mudflats and sandy shores.
White-faced Plovers are diurnal foragers, actively patrolling the intertidal zone. Their foraging strategy involves a characteristic run-and-pause technique, visually locating prey on the surface or probing shallowly into soft substrates. During the breeding season, males establish and defend ter...
The White-faced Plover's breeding range is concentrated along the coastal regions of East Asia, including northeastern China (e.g., Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong provinces), the Korean Peninsula, and parts of southern Japan (e.g., Kyushu, Shikoku). Breeding also extends to the coasts of southeastern ...
Least Concern
- The specific epithet 'dealbatus' is Latin for 'whitewashed,' aptly describing its characteristic clean white facial markings. - It is a master of camouflage; both the adult plumage and its eggs and chicks blend almost perfectly with sandy or pebbly substrates, making them incredibly difficult t...