Greater Sand-Plover

Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) is a sturdy plover with a heavy bill and warm chestnut breast band in breeding plumage. Body shape, bill structure, plumage pattern and voice provide the strongest field characters. Age, sex and season may alter its appearance, so identification should combine several features and careful direct field comparisons with similar species in the same habitat (Wikipedia, general species account).

It breeds in dry Asian uplands and migrates to tidal flats and beaches where it takes worms, molluscs and crustaceans. Its movements and social behaviour vary through the year, with breeding birds generally more dispersed and non-breeding birds gathering where food is concentrated. Japanese records place it within the country's documented avifauna as a resident, migrant or visitor (Wikipedia, general species account; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).