Lesser Sand-Plover

Lesser Sand-Plover (Charadrius mongolus), Round Cedar Lake, Coconino County

This Lesser Sand-Plover was found by Jason Wilder and Chuck LaRue on 02 October 2016 and photographed by Jason Wilder on 02 October 2016, by Gordon Karre, Bryan Patrick, Tony Battiste, and Dennis Wall on 03 October 2016, by Tony Leonardini and Gary Botello on 04 October 2016, by Chris McCreedy on 06 October 2016, and by Richard Ditch on 07 October 2016.

If accepted by the ABC this would be a first state record. Approximately 30 records in the ABA area outside of Alaska, mainly from the Pacific Coast, about half the records are of adults in late June - August and the other half are of juveniles in September and October. Only one prior record from the interior outside of Alaska a late spring (18 June 1984) bird in Alberta. All records in the United States are of the C. m. mongolus group which is a potential split.

Smaller than nearby Killdeer with which it was associating, approximately like that of Semipalmated Plover (similar in posture). Superficially similar to other North American plovers such as Semipalmated and Snowy Plover but the struture of this bird differs with long legs, lack of white hindcollar, dark legs, and hint of rufous on the chest. Compared to even rarer Greater Sand-Plover, this bird appears smaller and dainty with shorter darker legs, a shorter and less robust bill with a blunt point, bolder wing stripe, and smudgy flanks. The (sub)species group is identified from the C. m. atrifrons groups of south central Asia by this birds smaller bill and legs with more of a bulky appearance, dusky smudging on the sides of the breast and onto the flanks, and contrast between the uppertail and back.