Bird Sightings: Kentish Plover

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Hebrides Bird Sightings: Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover (Snowy Plover)

Charadrius alexandrinus

Photography © Terry Fountain
Lochdar - South Uist - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
11th November, 2007

"just before Hebridean Jewellers park on left"

"Having spoken to Brian, I had not realised just how rare this species is for the Hebrides. It does not appear on the “checklist” for the Islands either, a very important record it would appear. Hopefully it will over winter and allow many folk to have a good look..."

Our Kentish Plover Photographs

Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover
Kentish Plover Kentish Plover Kentish Plover Kentish Plover Kentish Plover Kentish Plover

Kentish Plover

AKA: Snowy Plover

Charadrius alexandrinus

34 annual UK records BTO

UK Former Breeder, Scarce Visitor

Breeds: "Locally" in Europe, Asia, (NOT KENT or rest of UK)

Winters: South Europe - Central Africa, South-East Asia

Habitat: Beaches, mudflats, rivers, lochs

Small wader, like ringed plover, but smaller, paler, longer-legged & thinner-billed. Breast band never complete, & usually as dark lateral patches on sides of breast. Greyish-brown above, white below. Summer adults' breast markings black, otherwise brown. Legs black. Flight: Flight feathers blackish & strong white wingbar

Diet: Inland: Insects. Coastal: Crustaceans, worms, molluscs (run & pause)

Unusual in that it buries it's eggs. A rather sensible act as it was almost hounded to extinction by eggers and taxidermists until it gained protected status.

The bird once had a UK breeding stronghold in Kent and Sussex. Then in the 19th Century the species was recognised as separate to the ringed plover and specimens became instantly sought after...(still declining in numbers)

Terry Fountain's web site:
http://www.hebridesphotographic.com

Other local bird photographs

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