On 25 June Brian Daniels found an ABA Code-3 Lesser Sand-Plover (Charadrius mongolus), formerly called Mongolian Plover and slightly longer legged, longer and heavier billed than Semipalmated Plover, at Harriett Wieder Regional Park in Huntington Beach (Bolsa Chica), California.
Lesser Sand-Plover is an intermediate to long-distant migrant. It is accidental outside of Alaska where it is rare but regular on the western islands and casual on the mainland (has bred). Lesser Sand-Plover is an Asian species with several disjunct populations. It breeds on both arctic tundra and mountain steppe and basins up to 18,000 feet (The Shorebird Guide, O’Brien et al.). There are currently five subspecies recognized, placed into two groups, which some authors consider to be separate species. To date, all North American records have been identified as being members of the stegmanni subspecies, part of the mongolus or northern group. Unlike Greater Sand-Plover, the complete molt to non-breeding plumage begins on their wintering grounds. In fall, adults begin to flock near breeding grounds the first week of July and depart from early to mid-August (The Shorebird Guide, O’Brien et al.).
Comments