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Species
Charadrius mongolus Pallas, 1776
Nomenclature
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Family: CharadriidaeGenus: Charadrius
Media
SUMMARY
The Lesser Sand Plover has a grey-brown crown and nape and a brownish-midgrey dorsum. The forehead, lores and upperwings are black, the ear coverts are a dusky grey and the chin, throat and belly are mostly white. When breeding in the Northern Hemisphere the plumage on the breast and the top of the head changes to a dull brick-red and the ear coverts become black. The brick-red breast is separated from the white neck by a narrow black line. The Lesser Sand Plover is distinguishable from the Greater Sand Plover by a smaller body with a more upright stance and more compact appearance. Also, in the breeding season, the Lesser Sand Plover has a narrow black breast band immediately above the red-brick plumage. In Australia, records indicate that the species calls in clear trik or tikit.