Oriental plover facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oriental plover |
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Charadrius veredus (protonym) |
The Oriental Plover (scientific name: Anarhynchus veredus), sometimes called the Oriental Dotterel, is a cool medium-sized bird. It's a type of plover, which is a group of birds often found near water. This plover is a close relative of the Caspian Plover. Every year, it travels huge distances! It breeds in places like Mongolia and China. Then, when winter comes, it migrates all the way south. It spends its non-breeding time in warmer places like Indonesia, New Guinea, and northern Australia.
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What the Oriental Plover Looks Like
The Oriental Plover is a fairly large plover. It has long legs and long wings. It usually measures about 21 to 25 centimeters (8 to 10 inches) long. Its wingspan can be 46 to 53 centimeters (18 to 21 inches). An adult bird weighs around 95 grams (about 3.3 ounces).
When a male Oriental Plover is ready to breed, it looks very special:
- Its face, throat, and the front of its head are white.
- The back of its head, neck, and back are grey-brown.
- Its belly is white.
- It has a thin black stripe and a wide, reddish-brown band across its chest. This band blends into its white throat.
Females, young birds, and males not in breeding season look a bit different. They usually have grey-brown upper parts and a white belly. They also have a pale face with a white stripe above their eye.
Where the Oriental Plover Lives
Oriental Plovers are amazing travelers! They breed in dry areas like Mongolia, eastern Russia, and Manchuria.
When it gets colder, they fly south. They pass through eastern China and South-East Asia. Their winter homes are in Indonesia and northern Australia. Sometimes, a few might even fly to New Zealand or even Europe! They have been seen in countries like Finland and Norway.
These birds like different kinds of places:
- Breeding areas: They prefer dry steppes, deserts, dry grasslands, and saltpans.
- Wintering areas: They can be found in grasslands, salt-fields, and along coastal areas.
What the Oriental Plover Eats
The Oriental Plover mainly eats insects. They search for their food on the ground.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Scientists haven't studied the breeding habits of the Oriental Plover very much. We know that these birds build their nests on the ground.
Protecting the Oriental Plover
The Oriental Plover is doing quite well! About 90% of these birds fly to Australia for the winter. Experts believe there might be around 160,000 Oriental Plovers in the world.
Because they live in a large area and their numbers are not going down, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) says they are of "Least Concern". This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.
