Mongolian plover
| Mongolian plover | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mongolian plover ( Charadrius mongolus ) |
||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Charadrius mongolus | ||||||||||
| Pallas , 1776 |
_3.jpg)
The Mongolian plover ( Charadrius mongolus ) is a species from the plover family. The species occurs exclusively in East Asia. Two subspecies are described.
The IUCN classifies the Mongolian plover as not endangered ( least concern ). The total population is roughly estimated at 310,000 to 390,000 sexually mature individuals.
Appearance
The Mongolian plover reaches a body length of 17 to 20 centimeters. The wingspan is 45 to 55 centimeters. The weight varies between 50 and 75 grams.
Mongolian ringed plovers have a white forehead in their splendid dress , which is divided in the middle by a narrow black line. A black face mask runs from the base of the beak over the eyes to the ear patches. The top of the head is brown, a reddish-brown band runs from the nape of the back to the fore-chest, the throat is white and separated from the reddish-brown chest by a narrow black stripe. The back and the wing covers are gray-brown. The underside of the body is white with small reddish-brown spots on the flanks. The legs are olive brown.
The face mask and the reddish-brown breast are missing in the simple dress. The birds are then uniformly gray-brown on the upper side of the body and whitish on the lower side. Fledglings are similar to adults in a plain dress, but are more brown on the top of the head.
The iris is dark brown. The beak is dark gray-brown.
Distribution area
The distribution area of the Mongolian plover is the east of Russia. The species breeds on the Chukchi Peninsula , Kamchatka and the Commander Islands . There are also individual breeding records for the western Alaska coast. Mongolian ringed plovers are regularly observed on St. Lawrence Island and the Aleutian Islands , but so far there are no breeding records there.
The Mongolian ringed plover is basically a bird of high altitude, but is also observed on tundra areas and on the coast. On the commander's islands, the species regularly breeds between sand dunes. The Mongolian plover is a migratory bird that overwinters in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia.
Way of life
The Mongolian plover is a sociable species of bird. He enters into a monogamous seasonal marriage. The nest is a shallow hollow that is occasionally covered with lichen. The clutch consists of two to three eggs. These are either completely cinnamon in color or are olive green with large reddish brown spots. The incubation period is 21 days. Usually only the male breeds. The young birds can fledge at 25 to 30 days. They are sexually mature at the age of one year.
supporting documents
literature
- Richard Sale: A Complete Guide to Arctic Wildlife , published by Christopher Helm, London 2006, ISBN 0-7136-7039-8
Web links
- BirdLife factsheet on the Mongolian Ringed Plover
- Charadrius mongolus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2013.