FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
There are unique birds all around the world map, and lesser sand plovers are definitely included in the list! Though rarely found in Europe, these birds make a frequent appearance all over the map in the United States, East Africa, and particularly Mongolia, where they are well known for their impressive breeding plumage. All of them migrate every year to their wintering grounds as per information from Birdlife International. While they are not endangered at the moment, scientists worry that their status of Least Concern may change soon due to the loss of habitat. Therefore, in order to protect their status, it has been recommended that people practice the conservation of these species in all forms. This can include staying away from their habitats, donating to organizations that work to help them, and more!
Read about this species, and make sure you find out more about other birds like the swallow-tailed kite and the palm warbler too!
The lesser sand plover, Charadrius mongolus, is a type of bird.
The lesser sand plover belongs to the class Aves.
The lesser sand plover (Charadrius mongolus) is thought to have a world population of around 310,000 to 390,000 individuals. The species' overall population pattern is unknown.
Mongolian sand plover birds live in wetlands and are found all around the world.
These lesser sand plovers are not heavily reliant on trees. They can be found at altitudes of up to 18,000 ft (5,500 m). Cultivated lands are part of these species' developed ecosystem and habitat. Tundra grasslands, forests, beaches, high-altitude grasslands, tidepools, marshes, swamps, intertidal mudflats, estuaries, and coastal dunes are among the natural environments and habitats of these lesser sand plovers.
They are known to live alone, or in small groups, and are monogamous.
The oldest Mongolian plover bird (with the taxonomic split) ever discovered was at least 20.5 years old. There is insufficient data available for this species in the United States.
In most of their breeding grounds, the breeding season for sand plovers is in May and June. These birds belong to wader groups, are monogamous, and possess a strong sense of territoriality. Sand plovers breeding grounds include mountain steppe and elevated tundra, forest plains above tree-line, shingle beaches, and salt marsh dry edges.
The nest of the lesser plover is a shallow, unlined scrape on the field. There are three eggs in the clutch. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs. After 22-24 days of incubation, the lesser sand plover chick hatch. The chicks are precocial, and after 30–35 days, they fledge. In the spring, Asian plover can be observed in limited numbers in areas of western Alaska.
The sand plover Charadrius mongolus species have been classified and assessed by the IUCN Red List as of Least Concern.
The hindneck and sides of their neck are chestnuts. From the base of the bill to the ear coverts, a broad black eye mask passes over the eyes. A dark brown line runs across the forehead. The underbelly is white. The female lesser sand plover in California have a rufous or dark grey-brown mask. On the forehead, there is no dark line. The black and chestnut markings on non-breeding plumage turn gray-brown. These birds have bill-black, white ring around the eyes with dark brown irises and legs are a dark grey color.
Adult banded dotterel is similar in size to Mongolian plover. Dotterel birds have a thin black band on the lower neck and a chestnut stripe on the higher breast, divided by a white band. The New Zealand dotterel is bigger, with orange-brown imbued underparts (at the time of breeding) and brown upperparts. The breeding plumage of the greater plovers (Charadrius leschenaultii) is bigger but similar in color to that of the Asian sand plover ( Mongolian sand plover). Other plovers from the family Charadriidae include American golden plover, mountain plover, semipalmated plover, western snowy plover, black-bellied plover, and the piping plover.
The lesser sand plover Charadrius is a small to medium-sized migrant bird. Their bright white wing bar, grey backs (breeding male), white underparts, log legs, paler brown plumage, and hard trill vocalization make them cute birds.
A quick, hard 'drrrit' or a hard trilling sound is the flight call of these plover Charadrius mongolus species of wader groups.
The average length of lesser plovers ( C. m. mongolus) is 6.69-8.66 in (16.99-21.84 cm). Lesser sand plover and snowy plover both belong to the same family (Charadriidae). Snowy plover measures 5-7 in (13-18 cm) in length. Kentish plover birds measure 5.90-6.69 in ( 14.98-16.99 cm) in length. Lesser sand plovers are larger than Kentish and snowy plover birds.
Sufficient information is not available about the flying speed of this migrant bird.
Lesser sand plover's range of weight is between 1.41-3.88 oz (40-110 gm).
Sand plovers birds, both male and female, have no distinct names.
The baby lesser sand plover has no particular name, but young birds are usually called chicks.
Invertebrates make up the majority of the diet of Mongolian plovers or lesser sand plover Charadrius bird species. Mollusks, crustaceans (crabs), polychaete worms, insects like insect larvae, beetles, and amphipods are their main sources of food. The prey is located by sight for these sand plovers species. They scavenge for prey on wet surfaces or explore the muddy ground (mudflats) for food. They often feed in the traditional run-stop-peck manner.
These Mongolian plovers are not poisonous.
As a wild animal, it would not be fair to keep one as a pet, though they are interesting and beautiful birds.
The lesser plover bird or Mongolian plover species has five subspecies: C. m. pamirensis, C. m. atrifrons, C. m. schaeferi , C. m. stegmanni, C. m. mongolus.
Subspecies C. m. atrifrons is found in the southerly Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas and wintertimes in Indonesia and India. The orange breast band on the atrifrons subspecies is more extensive and well-defined. The forehead is white.
Subspecies C. m. schaeferi is found from East Tibet to South Mongolia. This species has a narrow and pale orange breast band and there is no black at breast band uppermost edge.
Subspecies C. m. stegmanni is found in Kamchatka to Chukotsk Peninsula. It has a larger white forehead and the breast band is dark rufous
These migratory birds (Charadriiformes) spend the winter on shorelines in South Asia and East Africa. Although it is a short vagrant in Western Europe. While the three individuals reported in Great Britain until 2003, one of them was a Mongolian plover. These lesser plover species are migratory birds. These plovers move south for wintering. They return back to the breeding areas in April and May.
The genus name 'Charadrius' comes from an Early Latin word that refers to a yellow shade bird described in the Vulgate in the 4th century. It comes from the Ancient Greek word 'kharadrios', which refers to a bird that lives in ravines and different types of river valleys (kharadra, 'ravine'). Charadrius mongolus, the lesser sand plover, is a little wader in the plover family. Lesser sand-plover is the most standard spelling, however, lesser sand plover is the authorized British Ornithologists' Union spelling.
A greater vs lesser sand plover can be distinguished from its size, with the lesser bird being marginally smaller. When compared to the greater sand plover, the lesser has a shorter bill length. In a plover Charadrius mongolus, the legs are usually darker, range from black towards grey, while in a greater plover, the legs are much paler, range from grey to yellowish. The behavior of lesser vs greater sand plover is a less known bird because of lack of research.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our marabou stork facts and American bittern facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Lesser sand plover coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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