Lesser Sand-plover (Charadrius mongolus), previously known as Mongolian Plover, is a common winter visitor and passage migrant to Singapore. It arrives in early July and leaves towards the end of June.
Jeremiah Loei’s video clip of three Lesser Sand-plovers was documented at Pasir Ris on 11th August 2012. The plovers, one non-breeding and two breeding adults, were foraging in the intertidal zone. Moving along the sandy beach, they pecked on the surface sand to pick up small marine invertebrates. In the shallows they pecked into the water for the invertebrates.
It is noted that shorebirds have a wide range of bill types – especially length and curvature – as each species would then be feeding in its specific niche in the intertidal zone LINK.
Credit: Jeremiah Loei (video) & Wang Luan Keng (confirmed status of 3 adult plovers)
