Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii

The Greater Sand Plover, also Greater Sandplover, breeds in Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia and winters in Africa and South Asia.

The poor, distant photos in the top row were by Elizabeth Barrett and the better but still distant photos on the rest of the page were by Alexandra Makhnina, all taken in Kazakhstan.

The male develops a black face mask, golden crown and orange/rufous chest in breeding plumage (first photo, top row).

They are a gregarious, flocking species. The Greater Sand Plover is difficult to tell apart from the Lesser Sand Plover in summer and winter plumage.