Madagascar plover
| Madagascan plover | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Charadriidae |
| Genus: | Charadrius |
| Species: | C. thoracicus |
| Binomial name | |
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Charadrius thoracicus (Richmond, 1896) |
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The Madagascan plover (Charadrius thoracicus), also known as the black-banded plover, is a small (37 g) monogamous shorebird in the family Charadriidae. It is native to western Madagascar that inhabits the shores of lagoons, coastal grasslands, and breeds in salt marshes. These plovers mainly nest in open grassland and dry mudflats surrounding alkaline lakes. The species is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN because of its low breeding success, slow reproductive rate, and weak adaptation to increasing habitat loss, leading to declining population numbers.
Adult males and females have sexually monomorphic plumage, however females are slightly heavier than males and have longer wings, suggesting slight sexual dimorphism. The breeding plumage of the Madagascan plover consists of a white forehead bordered by a black bar and a black crown band, with a white crown band just above. An extra black band is present running from behind the eye, around the hind neck, along with a thick black band across upper chest. The rest of the face is white. Adults weigh 31-43 g, with females weighing on average 37.8 g and males 36.4 g. From the mantle and scapular feathers to the rump, the plumage is greyish brown. The central two feathers of the tail are grey/brown, with the outer feathers a lighter shade with darker distal bands and white tips. The underparts are white, with a rufous lower belly and undertail coverts. The bill, legs and eyes are black during the breeding season. Outside of breeding season, the species' appearance is duller, with the black markings more brown. Downy young weigh about 7.1 g and have a lime-green bill that turns brownish black towards the tip, with brown eyes and dull lime-green legs.
Calling consists of a short ‘pip’ repeated every 2-3 s, as well as a ‘pipipipreeeet’ single note repeated rapidly 3-6 times. Adults call during the breeding season when joining groups, flying, alarming, and attending chicks. The alarm call is a ‘qui qui qui qui’ whilst flapping wings. When the predator is clear a ‘tick tick’ sound can be heard.
The Madagascar plover is the only plover species endemic to Madagascar, and is present mainly on the west and south coasts from Andriamandroro to Tapera. It is estimated that this population occupies 139 km2, and breeds from the Mahavavy River delta in the north to Fort-Dauphin in the south-east. Nests are predominantly found in sparsely vegetated habitats such as grasslands, coastal mudflats, salt marshes, edges of alkaline lakes and mangroves, and breeding does not extend more than a few kilometers inland. The Madagascar plover is not known to migrate.
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Wikipedia