Oriental Plover
Anarhynchus veredus
IUCN status: Least concern
Flyway population 230 000
Australian Population 70 000
Plumage
Non-breeding: Upperparts are a uniform golden-brown. The forehead and lores are cream-brown. The crown of the head is brown giving a dark cap appearance. The supercilium and sides of the neck are cream. The ear coverts stand out as they are brown. The underparts from the chin through to the vent are cream, though the breast has a brown wash. The bill is short and black. The legs are pale orange.
Breeding: The head and neck are white. The rest of the upperparts are golden-brown. The breast is bright chestnut with a thick black band on its lower edge. The belly flanks and vent are white. The female lacks the black breast band and is browner on the head.
Juvenile: Similar to the non-breeding plumage but buff edging to the feathers on the upperparts gives a mottled appearance.
Confusing Species
Greater Sand Plover: The wings do not extend beyond the tail and the legs are shorter.
Pacific Golden Plover: Similar in size, but is plumper and has shorter legs. In its breeding plumage there is no difficulty in identification. The golden tinge to the upperparts is distinctive.
Distribution
Distribution
This bird is found in the open, sparsely vegetated grasslands of northern Australia, particularly in Western Australia, Northern Territory and the Gulf of Carpentaria of Queensland. It occurs in very small numbers in the other states as a straggler.
Migratory habits
The Oriental Plover arrives early in September increasing through October and November. Its whereabouts once the rains arrive is not well-known, but it is thought that it disperses into the interior. It leaves for its breeding grounds in March and April.
Breeding
This species breed in the arid and mountainous area of Mongolia and eastern China.
Recent Sightings in Queensland of Little Curlew
| 2025-01-02 | Cairns Esplanade–Northern End |
| 2024-10-22 | Lockhart River (Iron Range) Airport |
| 2024-10-14 | Hasties Swamp Bird Hide |
| 2024-09-25 | Cairns Esplanade–Southern End |
| 2024-01-10 | France Rd Turf Farm (Edmonton) |
| 2023-10-25 | Kurrimine Beach |
| 2023-10-13 | Bonadio RV Park |
| 2023-10-12 | Marks Lane fields |
| 2019-12-16 | Wellington Point–Geoff Skinner Reserve |
References
- eBird. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org (Accessed: Date 12/4/2026)
- Rogers A, Fuller RA & Amano T (2023) Australia’s migratory shorebirds: Trends and prospects. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. University of Queensland, Brisbane.
- Driessen, J., Kidd, L. R., Weller, D. R., Purnell, C., Maguire, G., Jaensch, R., and LeClair, S. M. (2025). Australian National Directory of Important Migratory Shorebird Habitat. Report for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. BirdLife Australia, Melbourne.
- https://sproggies63.github.io/birding_apps/