COMMON RINGED PLOVER

 

Photographed at Roebuck Bay, Broome, December 2023

1333                   COMMON RINGED PLOVER                    Charadrius hiaticula

AUSTRALIA                    809

Also known as Ringed Plover. Breeds across much of northern Eurasia, as well as Greenland. Common ringed plovers are migratory and winter in coastal areas south to Africa. In Norway, geolocators have revealed that adult breeding birds migrate to West Africa.[3] Many birds in Great Britain and northern France are resident throughout the year.Rare but regular vagrant to Australia with widespread sightings. 

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER

 

Photographed at Roebuck Bay, Broome, December 2023

1332                   AMERICAN GLODEN PLOVER                  Pluvialis dominica

AUSTRALIA                   808

The breeding habitat of American golden plover is Arctic tundra from northern Canada and Alaska. They nest on the ground in a dry open area. They are migratory and winter in southern South America. They follow an elliptical migration path. The bird has one of the longest known migratory routes of over 40,000 km (25,000 mi). Of this, 3,900 km (2,400 mi) is over open ocean where it cannot stop to feed or drink. It does this from body fat stores that it stocks up on prior to the flight. It is a regular vagrant to western Europe.

CITRINE WAGTAIL

 

Photographed on Christmas Island, December 2023

(*328)          CITRINE WAGTAIL            Motacilla citreola

AUSTRALIA                 807

Also known as Yellow-headed Wagtail. 15.5-17 cm. Range across Asia but expanding into western Europe. Found in wet meadows and tundra.

BLUE ROCK THRUSH

 

(*1256)               BLUE ROCK THRUSH                Monticola solitarius 

CAMBODIA                57

Found on rocky shorelines, cliffs, open stony country, coastal towns. Solitary, though occasionally in groups on rocks. Breeds in S Europe, N Africa, Central Asia, China, Japan and N Philippines; migrates to Sumatra to breed.

BLACK DRONGO

 

(*338)           BLACK DRONGO              Dicrurus macrocercus

CAMBODIA

28 cm. Range from sw Iran through India and Sri Lanka to southern China and Indonesia. Common in open agricultural districts and light forest. While bee keepers don't like them, because they eat the bees, farmers sometimes erect artificial perches to attract them to control insects.