The Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius altifrons is a common migrant and winter visitor to coastal areas. Autumn movement commences early with family groups moving through the region from the third week in June, continuing until September.
In the Eastern Province.It is a winter visitor and passage migrant. In the 1980s it was abundant along the coast from August through May with smaller numbers of non-breeding immatures in June and July but now it I less common although still seen in good numbers.
A count in January & February 1986 was estimated at 28,000 with the ICBP/NCWCD Waterbird Survey (November to December) 1991 – Mainly in Tarut Bay, counting a maximum of 2332 at Zur on 26 November. Kingdom wide it has the following ststus: Common migrant and winter visitor to the Gulf coast where a few are present throughout the summer.
Uncommon migrant and winter visitor to the Red Sea coast. The only inland records are from Riyadh and Tabuk.
Jem Babbington
Jem Babbington is a keen birder and amateur photographer located in Dhahran, Eastern Saudi Arabia where he goes birding every day. Jem was born in England and is a serious local patch and local area birder who has been birding for almost forty years and has birded in more than fifty countries. Jem is learning to ring birds in Bahrain as a perfect way to learn more about the birds of the area. Saudi Arabia is a very much under-watched and under-recorded country.
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