Charadriiformes / Charadriidae / Anarhynchus
Siberian Sand Plover
Anarhynchus mongolus · 蒙古沙鸻
Introduction
A small wader in the plover family, previously grouped with the Tibetan sand plover under the name lesser sand plover. It breeds discontinuously across bare coastal plains in north-eastern Siberia and has bred in Alaska. The species is strongly migratory, wintering on sandy beaches in east and southeast Asia. It is listed under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).
Description
This chunky plover is long-legged and long-billed. Breeding males have grey backs, white underparts, chestnut breast, forehead and nape, and a black eye mask. Females are duller. Winter and juvenile birds lack chestnut plumage, showing only a hint of rufous on the head. Legs are dark and the bill is black.
Identification
Very similar to the greater sand plover in all plumages. Distinguished by being slightly smaller, though size is unreliable for single individuals. It generally has a shorter bill than the greater sand plover. Leg color is darker, ranging from black to grey, compared to the paler grey to yellowish legs of the greater sand plover. It typically displays a white forehead and a more even white wing bar. The flight call is a hard trill.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds discontinuously across bare coastal plains in north-eastern Siberia, with overlap with the Mongolian plover in the eastern part of the range; also recorded breeding in Alaska. Strongly migratory, wintering on sandy beaches in east and southeast Asia.
Behavior & Ecology
Nests in a bare ground scrape, laying three eggs. Feeds on insects, crustaceans, and annelid worms using a run-and-pause technique, taking fewer steps and shorter pauses than the greater sand plover rather than steady probing.
Conservation
The species is covered by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Charadriidae
- Genus
- Anarhynchus
Taxonomy Changes
Charadrius mongolus → Anarhynchus mongolus
Genus transfer — GBIF Backbone Taxonomy uses the former name; AviList 2025 uses the current name.
Subspecies (2)
-
Anarhynchus mongolus mongolus
breeds Sea of Okhotsk to Ussuriland (southeastern Siberia); winters coastal Taiwan, Vietnam to New Guinea region and Australia (except southern)
Data Sources
CBR Notes: IUCN红色名录等级由LC升为EN，英文名由Lesser Sand Plover为Siberian Sand Plover，由Charadrius属移入Anarhynchus属（dos Remedios et al. 2015; Eaton et al. 2021）
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
