By Michael Rotter
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. (Johnsgard, 1981; Soothill and Soothill, 1982)
Biogeographic Regions:
palearctic 
(native ); ethiopian (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. (Johnsgard, 1981; Soothill and Soothill, 1982)
These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial .
Terrestrial Biomes:
desert or dune ; savanna or grassland .
Aquatic Biomes:
coastal .
Wetlands: marsh .
Other:
agricultural ; riparian ; estuarine .
Physical Description
(0.67 to 1.72 oz; avg. 1.2 oz)
(4.72 to 5.51 in)
(3.78 to 4.21 in)
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. (Cramp and Simmons, 1983; Johnsgard, 1981)
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry .
Sexual dimorphism: sexes colored or patterned differently.
Reproduction
Kittlitz's sand plover breeding intervals are not reported.
Kittlitz's sand plovers can breed throughout the year, although breeding is concentrated in seasonally. Peak breeding seasons vary geographically.
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. (Cramp and Simmons, 1983; Johnsgard, 1981)
Mating systems:
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. (Cramp and Simmons, 1983; Johnsgard, 1981)
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; 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. (Cramp and Simmons, 1983; Johnsgard, 1981)
Parental investment:
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. (Cramp and Simmons, 1983; Johnsgard, 1981)
Key behaviors:
cursorial; terricolous; flies; diurnal ; crepuscular ; motile ; 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. (Cramp and Simmons, 1983)
Kittlitz's sand plovers primarily use vision to hunt and search for food. (Johnsgard, 1981)
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. (Cramp and Simmons, 1983)
Primary Diet:
carnivore (insectivore , eats non-insect arthropods).
Animal Foods:
insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods; mollusks; terrestrial worms.
Predation
- lanner falcons (Falco biarmicus)
- marsh owls (Asio capensis)
- Wahlberg's eagles (Hieraaetus wahlbergi)
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. (Cramp and Simmons, 1983)
Anti-predator adaptations::
cryptic .
Ecosystem Roles
Kittlitz's sand plovers impact populations of their insect prey throughout their range in Africa. They are also prey for raptors. (Cramp and Simmons, 1983)
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse effects of Kittlitz's sand plovers on humans.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Kittlitz's sand plovers may impact the populations of insect pests where they occur.
Ways that people benefit from these animals:
controls pest population.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Not Evaluated.
US Migratory Bird Act: [link]:
No special status.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
No special status.
State of Michigan List: [link]:
No special status.
This species has a large range and a stable population. The IUCN lists this plover as least concern.
For More Information
Find Charadrius pecuarius information at
Contributors
Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
Michael Rotter (author), Northern Michigan University. Dr. Alec R. Lindsay (editor, instructor).
