Plovers of Vietnam – Charadriidae
With 15 species of Plovers of Vietnam, occurring over the country, some species really hard to see Vietnam’s jewels, the striking Northern Lapwing and River Lapwing the more understated, though equally desirable, Pacific Golden-Plover, will without doubt appear near the top of any birders wish list. This family lives in a habitat with water, mud, or coastline.
You may know: Mention Vietnam shorebirds to anyone who has spent time birding in the country or is perhaps planning a birding trip to Vietnam in the future and the names of two particular bird families will surely come up, Plovers & Sandpipers
The overview of Plovers families
The family Charadriidae was introduced (as Charadriadæ) by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1820. Most members of the family are known as plovers, lapwings or dotterels. These were rather vague terms which were not applied with any great consistency in the past. In general, larger species have often been called lapwings, smaller species plovers or dotterels and there are in fact two clear taxonomic sub-groups: most lapwings belong to the subfamily Vanellinae, most plovers and dotterels to Charadriinae.
They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings, but most species of lapwing may have more rounded wings. Their bill are usually straight (except for the wrybill) and short, their toes are short, hind toe could be reduced or absent, depending on species. Most Charadriidae also have relatively short tails, with the exception of the killdeer. In most genera, the sexes are similar, very little sexual dimorphism occurs between sexes. They range in size from the collared plover, at 26 grams and 14 cm (5.5 in), to the masked lapwing, at 368 grams (0.811 pounds) and 35 cm (14 in).
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Plovers of Vietnam Highlight Note
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Status: Rare pass migrant – Near Threatened
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tour cover: Northern Plains
Hotspot: Xuan Thuy Np.
River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii
Status: Uncommon resident – Near Threatened
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tours: Exclude North of Central Vietnam
Hotspot: Tram Chim, Yok Don
Malaysian Plover Charadrius peronii
Status: Uncommon resident – Near Threatened
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tours: South Vietnam
Hotspot: Can Gio, Go Cong
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Status: Rare pass migrant
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tours:
Hotspot: Can Gio, Go Cong, Batri
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
Status: Common Migrant
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tours: Mekong Delta
Hotspot: Tram Chim, Can Gio, Go Cong
Gray-headed Lapwing Vanellus cinereus
Status: Common Migrant
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tours: Throughout
Hotspot: Cat Tien, Tram Chim, Tan Phu
Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus
Status: Fairly Common Resident (Throughout)
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tours: Throughout Vietnam
Hotspot: Cat Tien, Nui Dinh, Ma Da.
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii
Status: Common pass migrant
Best time to watch & Photo: Jun-Aug
Tours: Mekong Delta
Hotspot: Go Cong, Can Gio, Binh Dai
Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos
Status: Rare pass migrant
Best time to watch & Photo: Feb-Apr
Tour: Red River Delta
Hotspot: Xuan Thuy Np.
List of all Plovers in Vietnam
| Name | Level | |
| 1 | Black-bellied Plover | Hard |
| 2 | Pacific Golden-Plover | Easy |
| 3 | Northern Lapwing | Maybe |
| 4 | River Lapwing | Maybe |
| 5 | Gray-headed Lapwing | Easy |
| 6 | Red-wattled Lapwing | Easy |
| 7 | Lesser Sand-Plover | Easy |
| 8 | Greater Sand-Plover | Easy |
| 9 | Malaysian Plover | Maybe |
| 10 | Kentish Plover | Easy |
| 11 | White-faced Plover | Easy |
| 12 | Common Ringed Plover | Maybe |
| 13 | Long-billed Plover | Maybe |
| 14 | Little Ringed Plover | Easy |
| 15 | Oriental Plover | Easy |
Note: Hard – Really hard to see; Maybe – …..; Easy – Easy to see with guide; Impossible – Weak info; Lack Data – Consider out of list
How to Identify the Greater Sand Plover, Tibetan Sand Plover and Siberian Sand Plover
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