Javan Plover

The Javan plover is a small 15 cm (5.9 in) shorebird with a reddish-brown coloration that begins at the crown and extends from the back of the neck onto the sides of the breast, with a smaller dark patch below. The breast collar is also reddish-brown, while the hind neck collar is white and always incomplete. The upperparts are brown or grey brown, and its underparts are white. Its head plumage is characterized by a black bar on the forecrown and a dark brown horizontal eyestripe. Its supercilium is typically white and extends behind the eye. The head is generally oval-shaped. The black bill is about 12–16 mm (0.47–0.63 in) and is blunt and thick at the base. White outer tail feathers and a distinct white bar across the upper wing can be seen during flight. In breeding plumage, the Javan plover has clear and usually complete yellowish-brown lateral breast patches. Breeding males have a short white supercilium, a bright white forehead and darker coloration. Compared to males, breeding females have a lighter, browner cap, full dark patches on the sides of the chest, and yellowish-tan supercilia that stretch past the eyes. Some females may also have a darker brown coloration or a combination of gray-brown and yellow-brown undertones. …

The Javan plover was previously considered to be endemic to the Indonesian islands of Java, Bali and the Kangean Islands. However, it was also sighted in southern Sumatra, Madura, Lombok, southwestern Sulawesi, Sumbawa, Flores, western and central Lesser Sundas, Meno Island, Semau and Timor-Leste. The Javan plover is sedentary. It inhabits sandy beaches, coastal plains, inland fishponds and rice fields. Open flats with minimal vegetation and a high cover of bare rock are typically favored. It has also been observed up to 30 km (19 mi) inland on Java.

The Javan plover has a similar diet to the Kentish plover, although not much data is available. Near the shore, it feeds on crustaceans, polychaete worms, and mollusks. Like other small plovers, the Javan plover has been recorded foraging for crabs at low tide by lowering its head and quickly running across the sand to capture prey. When inland, it can also prey on insects like beetles and flies, and spiders. The Javan plover has been observed foraging in dry, cleared rice-fields before seeding or after harvest.