Javan Plover Anarhynchus javanicus Scientific name definitions

15 cm. The Javan Plover differs from similar species by its rufous-cinnamon coloration extending from the crown, down the hindneck, and onto the sides of the breast , with a reduced dark brown to blackish-brown patch below, black bar on forecrown , and mainly dark brown lores and eyeline . The female has a somewhat browner cap , and lacks the russet tones of the male. The females also has complete breast-side patches and pale-buff supercilia extending well behind the eye, sometimes has darker brown upperparts, mantle, wing-coverts, breast patches, lores, eyestripe, and crown - or has a combination of gray-brown upperparts, mantle, and wing-coverts, with buffy-brown breast patches, lores, eyestripe, and crown (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ). This species resembles the Kentish Plover (Anarhynchus alexandrinus), but note thechestnut tone to ear-coverts and sides of the breast , relatively long and pale legs , longer bill, and overall sturdier impression (2 Tebb, G., Morris, P. and Los, P. (2008). New and interesting bird records from Sulawesi and Halmahera, Indonesia. BirdingASIA. 10: 67–76. Close ). The most important characters for correct field identification are an incomplete hindneck collar, lone lateral breast patches, paler legs, and longer tibia. Supportive characters include the blunt and thick-based bill, oval head pattern, and call. Characters such as tarsus/bill length ratio (although of use on birds in the hand or photographs) and length of feet beyond tail (in flight) are generally not useful in the field (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ). The Malaysian Plover (Anarhynchus peronii) is easily distinguished by its variegated upperparts (uniform in the Javan Plover and Kentish Plover), while the Red-capped Plover (Anarhynchus ruficapillus) lacks a white collar on its hindneck. The non-breeding male resembles the breeding female in having an always incomplete collar and more diffuse and paler breast-side patches (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ). The juvenile differs from other small plovers in a combination of plain upperparts, being somewhat paler-headed on the forehead and supercilium, with buff-washed upperparts, buff fringes to wing-coverts, paler and more diffuse breast-side patches, and wing-coverts appear small and neatly arranged. Wing-coverts are retained following post-juvenile molt, although most of the upperparts are replaced (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ).

This species' taxonomic status is very unclear. It is tentatively treated as a distinct species, closely related to the White-fronted Plover (Anarhynchus marginatus), Kentish Plover (Anarhynchus alexandrinus), White-faced Plover (Anarhynchus dealbatus), Snowy Plover (Anarhynchus nivosus) and Red-capped Plover (Anarhynchus ruficapillus), and all have on occasion been considered conspecific. Various authors associate it with different species. It is most often treated as a subspecies of Kentish Plover, alternatively linked with Red-capped Plover , or even with the Malaysian Plover (Anarhynchus peronii), although it appears to be quite different structurally from the latter. This is very poorly known, and much more research needed. The Javan Plover is monotypic.

This species is found in Java, the Kangean Islands, Bali, and west and central Lesser Sundas east to Timor (3 Trainor, C. R. (2011). The waterbirds and coastal seabirds of Timor-Leste: new site records clarifying residence status, distribution and taxonomy. Forktail 27:63–72. Close ). It was recently also observed in southern Sumatra (4 Iqbal, M., Febrianto, I. and Zulkifli, H. (2011). The occurrence of the Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus in Sumatra, Indonesia. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 118(2): 49–51. Close ) and southwestern Sulawesi (2 Tebb, G., Morris, P. and Los, P. (2008). New and interesting bird records from Sulawesi and Halmahera, Indonesia. BirdingASIA. 10: 67–76. Close ).

The Javan Plover is found in coastal lowlands, on sandy and pebbly beaches, at inland fishponds (5 van Balen, S., Noske, R. and Supriatna, A.A. (2009). Around the archipelago. Kukila. 14: 73–85. Close ), and on rice fields (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ). It was recorded up to 30 km inland on Java, although this is presumably atypical (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ).

This species is sedentary, as far as is known, but there are records, all recent, from Sumatra, Flores and Lombok , on none of which has the species been yet confirmed to breed (3 Trainor, C. R. (2011). The waterbirds and coastal seabirds of Timor-Leste: new site records clarifying residence status, distribution and taxonomy. Forktail 27:63–72. Close ).

There is very few data available, but this species has been observed hunting crabs at low tide in the typical manner of other small Charadrius species (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ). It is generally considered similar to the Kentish Plover.

Until recently, very few data, other than a ‘soft, rising single note, kweek repeated’ (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ), in large part due to the practice of regarding the Javan Plover as a subspecies of Kentish Plover in most literature (6 Hayman, P., J. Marchant, and T. Prater (1986). Shorebirds. An Identification Guide to the Waders of the World. Croom Helm, London, UK. Close ). However, whereas the latter gives a shorter “krk-krk…pik” or “pik” note, the Javan Plover utters a longer “kweek……kweek” or single “kweek” (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ). The adult gives a soft, rising “tu-wit” while attempting to distract humans from the presence of chicks or nest with eggs, using broken-wing and rodent-run displays in the former case (7 Taufiqurrahman, I. and Subekti, H. (2013). Distraction behaviour of breeding Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Kukila. 17(1): 17–21. Close ).

There is virtually no information available. Breeding was recently recorded in June, West Java, where the breeding season is probably mainly May–August (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ), but chicks were recorded as early as late April (7 Taufiqurrahman, I. and Subekti, H. (2013). Distraction behaviour of breeding Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Kukila. 17(1): 17–21. Close ). There are also records of birds in breeding condition in May. In East Java, eggs are laid in June, September and January (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ), and small chicks emerge in June and August, with display recorded in May–August (8 Grantham, M. J. (2000). Birds of Alas Purwo National Park, East Java. Kukila 11:97–121. Close ). Breeding activity was noted on Sulawesi in early October (2 Tebb, G., Morris, P. and Los, P. (2008). New and interesting bird records from Sulawesi and Halmahera, Indonesia. BirdingASIA. 10: 67–76. Close ), southeastern Sumatra and Timor-Leste in July (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ) and on Bali in June (9 Mason, V. (2011). A revised checklist for the birds of Bali, with notes on recent additions to the avifauna. Kukila 15:1–30. Close ), with chicks in early October . There are no descriptions of nests, but this species breeds both inland (e.g. at rice fields) (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ) and on the coast in open dune slacks (8 Grantham, M. J. (2000). Birds of Alas Purwo National Park, East Java. Kukila 11:97–121. Close ). They are very aggressive during the breeding season, observed to attack both chicks and adults of the Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ). Eggs are very similar to those of Kentish Plover, being isabelline to dark olive-cream in color, with numerous very irregular black or almost black markings, often mixed with a grayish or sepia tint (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ). Newly hatched young are similar to those of other small Charadrius plovers (1 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Gilfedder, M. and Baskoro, K. (2013). Field identification of Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(2): 96–101. Close ).

The Javan Plover is not globally threatened (Least Concern). It may warrant listing as Vulnerable based on recently gathered data, despite its recent expansion in range. There are reported increases in numbers at some sites and evidence that the species is holding its own in parts of Java subject to habitat loss (10 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Yordan, K. and van Balen, B. (2013). The distribution, abundance and conservation status of the Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(1): 75–79. Close ). Until recently, there were no population estimates available, but now the population is provisionally estimated at up to 6,000 individuals (10 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Yordan, K. and van Balen, B. (2013). The distribution, abundance and conservation status of the Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(1): 75–79. Close ). It was recently found to be common on the southern coast of Madura I (East Java), in Alas Purwo National Park (also East Java) (8 Grantham, M. J. (2000). Birds of Alas Purwo National Park, East Java. Kukila 11:97–121. Close ), and at various sites on the north coast of Java (5 van Balen, S., Noske, R. and Supriatna, A.A. (2009). Around the archipelago. Kukila. 14: 73–85. Close ). The entire range has proven to be much wider than was originally thought, ranging from southeastern Sumatra as far east as Timor-Leste (10 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Yordan, K. and van Balen, B. (2013). The distribution, abundance and conservation status of the Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(1): 75–79. Close ) and Semau (11 Johnstone, R. E., O. Hidayat, J. C. Darnell, and C. R. Trainor (2014). The avifauna of Semau Island, Lesser Sundas, Indonesia: ecology, taxonomy and conservation. Western Australian Naturalist 29(3):162–221. Close ). It is common at two sites on Bali, including on Serangan (9 Mason, V. (2011). A revised checklist for the birds of Bali, with notes on recent additions to the avifauna. Kukila 15:1–30. Close ). In 2008, the Javan population was estimated to be c. 2,000 individuals, based on surveys of nine localities that found 250 plovers at densities of 5.39 birds/km, while maximum counts on Java during the period 2006–2013 were of 210 birds at Wonorejo, 142 birds on Pacinan, and 114 at Trisik (10 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Yordan, K. and van Balen, B. (2013). The distribution, abundance and conservation status of the Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(1): 75–79. Close ). A December 2012 survey found the species to be reasonably numerous at three new sites in extreme southeastern Java (12 Iqbal, M., Wibowo, W.K., Taufiqurrahman, I. and Nazar, L. (2013). Counts of shorebirds at three wetlands on the southern coast of East Java Province, Indonesia. Stilt. 63–64: 22–26. Close ). The Javan Plover was recently (2005) discovered to be quite common at single site, Ujung Pandang, in southern Sulawesi (2 Tebb, G., Morris, P. and Los, P. (2008). New and interesting bird records from Sulawesi and Halmahera, Indonesia. BirdingASIA. 10: 67–76. Close ). It appears to have recently colonized Timor-Leste , where it was first noted in 2009, and the presence of immatures indicates breeding (3 Trainor, C. R. (2011). The waterbirds and coastal seabirds of Timor-Leste: new site records clarifying residence status, distribution and taxonomy. Forktail 27:63–72. Close ). At Trisik on the southern coast of central Java, eggs of this species are collected by local people for food (10 Iqbal, M., Taufiqurrahman, I., Yordan, K. and van Balen, B. (2013). The distribution, abundance and conservation status of the Javan Plover Charadrius javanicus. Wader Study Group Bulletin. 120(1): 75–79. Close ). There is a considerable scope for research into the biology and ecology of this species; extensive surveys are required in order to establish conservation status and potential threats. Taxonomic reappraisal is highly desirable, but much more field information is required.