Little Ringed Plover

Charadrius dubius

The Little Ringed Plover is a small (16 cm) wader with a short bill.  It is uniformly brown on the crown, back and wings, with a white throat, collar and underparts.  The face bears a black mask and frontal bar in adults, and the forehead is white.  The throat is separated from the breast by a blackish band (brown in juveniles) running across the chest.  Sexes are alike.  The bill is black, there is a prominent yellow eye ring, the legs and feet are yellow and the iris is dark brown.   In flight, the lack of a white wing bar distinguishes it from the Kentish (Snowy) Plover.

The Little Ringed Plover frequents sandflats, mudflats and grassy marshes, sometimes far from the coast.  It feeds on insects, spiders, shrimps and other invertebrates which it finds on dry or moist surfaces, or in shallow water.

In Taiwan the Little Ringed Plover is a common winter visitor.

References:  A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Mackinnon and Phillipps); 100 Common Birds of Taiwan (Wild Bird Society of Taipei); Handbook of Birds of the World Vol. 3