Charadrius pecuarius

Geographic Range

Kittlitz's sand plovers are common in much of the non-forested areas of sub-Saharan Africa. They also occur north along the Nile River to the Nile River Delta and on Madagascar.

• Biogeographic Regions
• palearctic palearctic
  • native native
• ethiopian ethiopian
  • native native

Habitat

Kittlitz's sand plovers are found in inland and coastal areas of their range. Favored inland habitats are sand banks, mud flats, and grasslands and low scrub, although areas with sparse vegetation are highly preferred. Offshore islands and tidal plains are also commonly occupied.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• tropical tropical
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• desert or dune desert or dune
• savanna or grassland savanna or grassland

• Aquatic Biomes
• coastal coastal

• Wetlands
• marsh marsh

• Other Habitat Features
• agricultural agricultural
• riparian riparian
• estuarine estuarine

Physical Description

Kittlitz's sand plovers are small, compact plovers. Both males and females have white heads with a distinctive black line down the side of the neck, which is commonly used in identifying Charadrius pecuarius from other Charadrius species. The crown feathers are brown with sandy tones mixed in. The body plumage is primarily sandy brown with some black edging, giving it a somewhat mottled appearance. The tail feathers are white except the central two, which are black. Females closely resemble males, except that the band on the front of the crown is narrower and may be brown in females. Juveniles have no black or white on the head.

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• homoiothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• sexes colored or patterned differently

Reproduction

Pair formation in Kittlitz's sand plovers takes place in their flocks. Birds chase each other during this period with feathers puffed out while making buzzing noises. They often make several scrape nests during pairing. Copulation tends to take place at the scrape nest in which the female will eventually lay her eggs. Copulation activities seems to be typical of other Charadrius species, with the male holding the female's neck and then falling off after copulation.

• Mating System
• monogamous monogamous

Kittlitz's sand plovers breed and lay eggs throughout the year with peak seasons varying regionally. In East Africa breeding occurs mainly from April to May, in South Africa breeding is from August to November. The nest is a shallow scrape about 12 cm in diameter. Sometimes the nest is lined with sand, pebbles, pieces of grass, or dung. Typically two eggs are laid which are incubated by both parents. Eggs hatch in about 25 days and the young leave the nest site as soon as they are dry. The young stay near their parents, with fledging taking place in about 25 days. After fledgling the young are independent.

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• year-round breeding year-round breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• oviparous oviparous

Soon after hatching parents lead their young to a feeding site. If threatened, parents typically perform a "broken wing display", common in Charadrius species to distract a predator from young. This display involves feigning a broken wing and making alarm noises. When the predator nears the parent and is away from the young, the parent will simply fly away. Parents communicate warnings to young fledglings. Some aggressive behavior has been exhibited toward other species that approach young or nests, particularly in captivity. Parents typically cover eggs with sand or loose material if a predator approaches the nest. Males and females share incubation, with females typically sitting on the eggs during the day and males at night.

• Parental Investment
• precocial precocial
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • male
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • male
    • female
  • protecting
    • male
    • female

Lifespan/Longevity

The lifespan of Kittlitz's sand plovers is not reported in the literature.

Behavior

Flocking is typical in Kittlitz's sand plovers throughout the year. They are typically found in large flocks and are not generally found in mixed flocks with other species. Kittlitz's sand plovers tend to nest close to each other and do not show any sign of obvious aggression toward neighbors. There are reports from captive situation that suggest a pair of birds will try to dominate a nesting area in crowded conditions.

• Key Behaviors
• cursorial
• terricolous
• flies
• diurnal diurnal
• crepuscular crepuscular
• motile motile
• social social

Communication and Perception

Kittlitz's sand plovers are considered quiet plovers, as they typically only vocalize when disturbed or in flight. The general contact call, which is usually made in flight, is a plaintive "tee peep." In an alarm situation these birds emit a shrill "peet." Buzzing and chattering noises are sometimes made when pursuing mates or showing aggressive behavior to other birds. Hatchlings make a "cheep-cheep" noise.

Kittlitz's sand plovers primarily use vision to hunt and search for food.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual
• acoustic acoustic

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Kittlitz's sand plovers eat mainly terrestrial insects and spiders. They feed mainly in the early morning hours until just before mid-day. Some of the insects recorded from their stomachs include Coleoptera , Diptera , Hemiptera , Orthoptera , and Hymenoptera . These birds also occasionally take small molluscs and worms when available.

• Primary Diet
• carnivore carnivore
  • insectivore insectivore
  • eats non-insect arthropods

• Animal Foods
• insects
• terrestrial non-insect arthropods
• mollusks
• terrestrial worms

Predation

Predators of Kittlitz's sand plovers are mainly predatory birds such as Falco biarmicus . Both hatchlings and adults are cryptically colored. Hatchlings generally try to hide among sticks and stones and remain still to avoid detection from predators. When sitting on the nest these birds keep an eye pointed toward the sky. If a threat is detected, they cover the eggs with sand and move toward a water edge. Very rarely will they move the eggs to a new site. Parents with young use a broken-wing display to distract predators from their young. Breeding adults may also mob predators, such as a pair that were reported attacking a marsh owl ( Asio capensis ) that was near a nest scrape.

• Anti-predator Adaptations
• cryptic cryptic

Ecosystem Roles

Kittlitz's sand plovers impact populations of their insect prey throughout their range in Africa. They are also prey for raptors.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Kittlitz's sand plovers may impact the populations of insect pests where they occur.

• Positive Impacts
• controls pest population

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

There are no known adverse effects of Kittlitz's sand plovers on humans.

Conservation Status

This species has a large range and a stable population. The IUCN lists this plover as least concern.

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.

Michael Rotter (author), Northern Michigan University, Alec R. Lindsay (editor, instructor), Northern Michigan University.

References

Cramp, S., K. Simmons. 1983. Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa: The Birds of the Western Palearctic Volume III Wader to Gulls . New York: Oxford University Press.

Johnsgard, P. 1981. The Plovers, Sandpipers, and Snipes of the World . Lincoln Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press.

Soothill, E., R. Soothill. 1982. Wading Birds of the World . Dorset: Blandford Press.