Caspian Plover

Anarhynchus asiaticus (Pallas, 1773)

Caspian Plover, Anarhynchus asiaticus, breeds across temperate inland parts of central Asia, from western Russia through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to north-west Xinjiang in China, and spends the non-breeding season from inland Kenya to south-central Africa. It is a plover of open grassland, steppes, desert edges, saltpans and other saline ground with sparse shrubs. In breeding plumage, the male shows a grey-brown upperpart pattern, a white face and underparts, and a chestnut breast edged below in black. It has a slim build, long legs, a long thin bill and a strong white supercilium.

Order

Charadriiformes

Family

Charadriidae — Plovers

Breeding range

Palearctic: temperate inland c Asia: sw Russia, Kazakhstan (except n), Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to nw Xinjiang (nw China)

Nonbreeding range

inland Kenya to sc Africa