Greater Sandplover
Charadrius leschenaultii
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyCharadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)
- GenusCharadrius (Holarctic Ringed Plovers and Allies)
- SpeciesCharadrius leschenaultii (Greater Sandplover)
About the Greater Sandplover
The greater sand plover (Anarhynchus leschenaultii) is a small wader in the plover family of birds. The spelling is often given as "greater sandplover" or "greater sand-plover", but the official IOC and British Ornithologists' Union spelling is "Greater Sand Plover". The specific leschenaultii commemorates the French botanist Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour. Like most other species in the genus Anarhynchus, it was until recently included in the genus Charadrius.
It breeds in the semi-deserts of Turkey and eastwards through Central Asia, where it nests in a bare ground scrape. This species is strongly migratory, wintering on sandy beaches in East Africa, South Asia and Australasia. It is a rare vagrant in western Europe, where it has been recorded as far west as Iceland. It has been recorded three times in North America, the most recent being on 13 April 2025 in Biscay Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. Last previous sighing in NA,14 May 2009 in Jacksonville, Florida.
There are three subspecies: A. l. leschenaultii, the nominate, in the east of the species' range in Mongolia and NW China. Bill intermediate; summer plumage with a weak orange breast... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Greater Sandplover in Tsavo East National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Tsavo East National Park
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
Caspian Plover
Charadrius asiaticus
Spur-winged Lapwing
Vanellus spinosus
Crowned Lapwing
Vanellus coronatus
Black-headed Lapwing
Vanellus tectus
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
Senegal Lapwing
Vanellus lugubris
Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia
Little Stint
Calidris minuta
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sundarbans National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 6 | Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | |
| 7 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 8 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 10 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 11 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 12 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 13 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 14 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 15 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 16 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 17 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 18 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 19 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 20 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 21 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 22 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Greater Sandplover in Tsavo East National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Sandplover sighting in Tsavo East National Park, based on 228 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Greater Sandplover in Tsavo East National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Greater Sandplover in Tsavo East National Park in our monthly data.