Charadrius Alexandrinus Research Articles

Anthropogenic and climate change-driven coastline dynamics will erode future nesting habitats of the kentish plover on the central adriatic coast

Shorebirds play a crucial role in assessing the health of coastal ecosystems due to their life history, behaviour, migratory patterns, and feeding preferences. Many shorebird species are experiencing population declines worldwide, driven by habitat loss and climate change. Understanding these challenges requires extensive data on their distribution and breeding ecology. The Kentish Plover (Anarhynchus alexandrinus) is a small shorebird that constructs its nests on sandy beaches. However, there is a scarcity of data regarding the reproductive ecology of this species in many areas, including the Molise region of Southern Italy. This study aimed at assessing the potential role of environmental variables derived from remote sensing to model current and future Kentish Plover nesting habitat suitability accounting for future scenarios of coastal dynamics in 2040. Data on Kentish Plover nests were collected along the Molise coast over several years and used to calibrate ecological niche models (ENMs) relying on environmental variables derived from coastal images. Kentish Plover nesting habitat suitability was mostly affected by distance from open sand, artificial surfaces, shoreline, and herbaceous vegetation and forested areas. The study predicts an average decline of more than 22% in suitable nesting environments for the Kentish Plover within the next two decades. Results indicated that our modelling approach can offer valuable insights for the conservation strategy of Kentish Plover in the region. In conclusion, we assert that preserving the nesting habitat of the Kentish Plover will not only safeguard this species, but also other species that inhabit similar environments, along with providing protection for coastal landscapes and associated ecosystem services.

Spatiotemporal Distribution and Habitat Characteristics of Shorebirds in the Coastal Wetlands of Dalian, Liaoning, China

The coast of Dalian in Liaoning Province, China, is one of the most important habitats for migratory shorebirds along the East Asia–Australasian Flyway. However, the coastal areas of Dalian have been modified extensively by various projects, including reclamation and the construction of aquaculture and port facilities, embankment buildings, cross-sea passages, and wind farms, which have led to significant damage to the coastal habitats of shorebirds. Assessing the spatiotemporal distribution and habitat characteristics of shorebirds is of great importance to biodiversity conservation. The present study involved a 15-month-long survey of shorebirds in nine coastal wetlands of Dalian from August 2021 to October 2022. In total, 31 species of shorebirds, belonging to five families, were recorded. Migratory shorebirds were the most frequently observed, accounting for 77% of the recorded shorebirds. Dunlin (Calidris alpina), Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata), and Far Eastern curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) were the most abundant species. Both species richness and species abundance peaked in May and again in September. The Zhuanghe Estuary boasted the highest species diversity, while the Huli Estuary wetland exhibited the greatest species abundance. The type of habitat and the spatial extent of natural wetlands were the main variables influencing the spatial distribution of waterbirds. By identifying the population characteristics and habitat status of shorebirds in Dalian, the results provide support for shorebird conservation and habitat management.

Mapping Avian Habitat Suitability Using Linear and Non-Linear Techniques in the Case of Wetland Landscapes

Habitat quality is crucial for wildlife management that impacts the conservation of sensitive landscapes such as wetlands. With advancements in GIS, habitat modelling now effectively predicts species occurrences and habitat suitability. This study aims to model and map habitat suitability for case bird species of Kentish plover in Tuzla Lagoon using multiple techniques. Kentish plover nesting data were collected from 293 nests, and reproductive success measures such as lay date, egg volume, and nest fate were analysed. Spatial habitat modelling techniques, including regression, co-kriging, artificial neural networks, and decision trees, were used with IKONOS imagery and ground data. The overall prediction accuracies were poor for lay date across all techniques, with the decision tree being the most accurate, while egg volume was best predicted by co-kriging, egg success by linear regression, and nest fate by both binomial logistic regression and ANN with 75% accuracy.

Mercury and rare earth elements (REEs) show different spatial trends in feathers of Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) breeding along the Adriatic Sea coast, Italy.

Feather analysis is an ethical and effective method for assessing the exposure of wild birds to environmental contamination due to trace elements and organic pollutants. We used feather to monitor the exposure to three toxic and non-essential metals (Hg, Cd, and Pb) and rare earth elements (REEs) of Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) breeding in different coastal areas (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo, and Apulia) along the Italian coast of the Adriatic Sea. Feathers (n = 113) were collected from April to June. Feather concentrations evidenced a significant exposure to Hg (13.05 ± 1.71 mg kg−1 dw) and REEs (447.3 ± 52.8 ng g−1 dw) in the Kentish plover breeding in Veneto (n = 21) compared to the other coastal areas, with several individuals showing Hg concentrations above the adverse effect (5 mg kg−1 dw) and high-risk (9.14 mg kg−1 dw) thresholds reported for birds. Higher REE concentrations compared to Marche (n = 29), Abruzzo (n = 11) and Apulia (n = 13) were also reported for birds breeding in Emilia-Romagna (474.9 ± 41.9 ng g−1 dw; n = 29). The exposure to Cd and Pb was low in all the coastal areas, and only a few samples (n = 6 and n = 4 for Cd and Pb, respectively) exceeded the adverse effect thresholds (0.1 and 4 mg kg−1 for Cd and Pb, respectively). A significant sex-related difference was observed for REE-concentrations, with females showing higher concentration than males. These data highlight the need to monitor the exposure of the Kentish plover to Hg and REEs, especially in the northern basin of the Adriatic Sea, since these elements might negatively affect species' reproductive success and threaten its conservation.

No sex difference in preen oil chemical composition during incubation in Kentish plovers.

Preen oil, the secretion from the uropygial gland of birds, may have a specific function in incubation. Consistent with this, during incubation, the chemical composition of preen oil is more likely to differ between sexes in species where only one sex incubates than in species where both sexes incubate. In this study, we tested the generality of this apparent difference, by investigating sex differences in the preen oil composition of a shorebird species, the Kentish plover (Anarhynchus, formerly Charadrius, alexandrinus). As both sexes incubate in this species, we predicted the absence of sex differences in preen oil composition during incubation. In the field, we sampled preen oil from nine females and 11 males during incubation, which we analysed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Consistent with predictions, we found no sex difference in preen oil composition, neither in beta diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarities) nor in alpha diversity (Shannon index and number of substances). Based on these results, we cannot conclude whether preen oil has a function during incubation in Kentish plovers. Still, we discuss hypothetical roles, such as olfactory crypsis, protection against ectoparasites or olfactory intraspecific communication, which remain to be tested.

Use of Stable Isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) to Infer Post-Breeding Dispersal Strategies in Iberian Populations of the Kentish Plover.

Beaches are among the habitats most frequented by migratory birds for breeding and/or wintering. However, threats such as human pressure and sea level rise can reduce the availability of these habitats for different species. The presence of alternative areas, such as salt pans and brackish habitats, is essential for many migratory shorebird populations. This study addresses the post-breeding dispersal of the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) in the Iberian Peninsula by analysing C and N isotopes in feathers. The study was conducted at six locations along the Iberian coast, which were categorized into three areas: the NW Atlantic coast, the Atlantic coast of Andalusia, and the Mediterranean coast. Although linear mixed models did not reveal any significant effects of sex or coastal area on isotopic levels, the variability in the data suggests different habitat-use strategies in the post-reproductive period. Isotopic levels in birds from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula exhibit greater fidelity to a single habitat type, while those from the Mediterranean coast and the Atlantic coast of Andalusia show greater variability, indicating different individual dispersal strategies. The lack of alternative habitats for the northwest Iberian population, the reduction in available habitat due to rising sea levels, and human pressure together pose a serious threat to the survival of this species, already with an unfavourable conservation status.

A novel hybrid beachgrass is invading U.S. Pacific Northwest dunes with potential ecosystem consequences

AbstractInvasive plants formed via hybridization, especially those that modify the structure and function of their ecosystems, are of particular concern given the potential for hybrid vigor. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, two invasive, dune‐building beachgrasses, Ammophila arenaria (European beachgrass) and A. breviligulata (American beachgrass), have hybridized and formed a new beachgrass taxa (Ammophila arenaria × A. breviligulata), but little is known about its distribution, spread, and ecological consequences. Here, we report on surveys of the hybrid beachgrass conducted across a 250‐km range from Moclips, Washington to Pacific City, Oregon, in 2021 and 2022. We detected nearly 300 hybrid individuals, or an average of 8–14 hybrid individuals per km of surveyed foredune. The hybrid was more common at sites within southern Washington and northern Oregon where A. breviligulata is abundant (75%–90% cover) and A. arenaria is sparse and patchy. The hybrid displayed morphological traits such as shoot density and height that typically exceeded its parent species suggesting hybrid vigor. We measured an average growth rate of 30% over one year, with individuals growing faster at the leading edge of the foredune, nearest to the beach. We also found a positive relationship between hybrid abundance and A. arenaria abundance, suggesting that A. arenaria density may be a controlling factor for hybridization rate. The hybrid showed similar sand deposition and associated plant species richness patterns compared with its parent species, although longer term studies are needed. Finally, we found hybrid individuals within and near conservation habitat of two Endangered Species Act‐listed, threatened bird species, the western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) and the streaked horned lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata), a concern for conservation management. Documenting this emerging hybrid beachgrass provides insights into how hybridization affects the spread of novel species and the consequences for communities in which they invade.

Comparison of waterbird communities in a Mediterranean salina – saltmarsh complex

Coastal wetlands provide habitat for large numbers and many species of waterbirds. Man-made salinas are a particu-lar habitat type often found in such wetlands. This study is an initiative to understand the differences in bird communities between a salina (including evaporation ponds and prebasin) and a saltmarsh. Bird counts and nest surveys took place in the wetlands of Angelochori, Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1991, when the salina was inactive, and in 1997, 2000-01 when it was active. Counts in evaporation ponds were richer in species, abundance and nests compared to the prebasin and the saltmarsh. These three wetland types supported different bird communities. Similarities among bird communities depended on the inundation of the salina with seawater. Evaporation ponds in their inactive period presented low similarity with the communities of the prebasin and the saltmarsh ; in the active period this was observed only for the saltmarsh. Species showing clear selection for the evaporation ponds were Charadrius alexandrinus, Calidris alpina, Calidris minuta, Recurvirostra avosetta, Sterna hirundo, Sternula albifrons, Sterna sandvicensis and Haematopus ostralegus; the prebasin was preferred by Phoenicopterus roseus and Anas platyrhynchos, and the saltmarsh by Anas querquedula, Anas clypeata, Plegadis falcinellus, Tringa totanus, Tringa glareola, Tringa stagnatilis and Himantopus himantopus.

Pairs show similar risk taking behaviour but only female risk taking behaviour is linked to nest microhabitat choice in the Kentish plover

Abstract Risk taking behaviour — how individuals perceive and respond to threat — varies among individuals. In birds, this behaviour influences the choice of nest microhabitat presumably because exposure to predation depends on the structural composition of the nest microhabitat (i.e., a small area where a bird builds its nest). Thus, a chosen nest microhabitat can indicate an adaptation to predation risk. However, where both parents participate in or share breeding roles, it is unknown whether the chosen nest microhabitat is influenced by risk taking behaviour of the female, the male or both parents. Moreover, risk taking may affect other behaviours during breeding, thus having a partner with similar risk taking behaviour may be important for pair complementarity. We investigated risk taking behaviour of breeding Kentish plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) using flight initiation distance (FID) as a proxy. First, we tested whether FID is repeatable. Second, we tested whether members of breeding pairs have similar FID. Third, we investigated whether male and female’s FID is associated with the choice of nest microhabitat. We classified nest microhabitat by two indices: cover directly above the nest scrape (above nest cover) and cover around the nest (around nest coverage). We found that (i) FID was highly repeatable, (ii) FID was correlated within members of breeding pairs and (iii) female’s risk taking behaviour is linked to the use of around nest coverage. Specifically, females with longer FID, (i.e., more risk-averse ones) tended to use less concealed nest microhabitat. We concluded that nest microhabitat choice in the Kentish plovers is likely a reflection of the female’s risk taking behaviour. Breeding partners likely have similar risk taking behaviour, an indication of assortative mating. We advocate partitioning of correlation within breeding pairs to ascertain estimates of within pair correlation attributable to assortative mating.

Divergent Selection in Low Recombination Regions Shapes the Genomic Islands in Two Incipient Shorebird Species.

Speciation in the face of gene flow is usually associated with a heterogeneous genomic landscape of divergence in nascent species pairs. However, multiple factors, such as divergent selection and local recombination rate variation, can influence the formation of these genomic islands. Examination of the genomic landscapes of species pairs that are still in the early stages of speciation provides an insight into this conundrum. In this study, population genomic analyses were undertaken using a wide range of sampling and whole-genome resequencing data from 96 unrelated individuals of Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) and white-faced plover (Charadrius dealbatus). We suggest that the two species exhibit varying levels of population admixture along the Chinese coast and on the Taiwan Island. Genome-wide analyses for introgression indicate that ancient introgression had occurred in Taiwan population, and gene flow is still ongoing in mainland coastal populations. Furthermore, we identified a few genomic regions with significant levels of interspecific differentiation and local recombination suppression, which contain several genes potentially associated with disease resistance, coloration, and regulation of plumage molting and thus may be relevant to the phenotypic and ecological divergence of the two nascent species. Overall, our findings suggest that divergent selection in low recombination regions may be a main force in shaping the genomic islands in two incipient shorebird species.

Gut microbiome in two high-altitude bird populations showed heterogeneity in sex and life stage.

Gut microbiotas have important impacts on host health, reproductive success, and survival. While extensive research in mammals has identified the exogenous (e.g. environment) and endogenous (e.g. phylogeny, sex, and age) factors that shape the gut microbiota composition and functionality, yet avian systems remain comparatively less understood. Shorebirds, characterized by a well-resolved phylogeny and diverse life-history traits, present an ideal model for dissecting the factors modulating gut microbiota dynamics. Here, we provide an insight into the composition of gut microbiota in two high-altitude (ca. 3200m above sea level) breeding populations of Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) and Tibetan sand plover (Charadrius altrifrons) in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. By analysing faecal bacterial communities using 16S rRNA sequencing technology, we find a convergence in gut microbial communities between the two species, dominated by Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. This suggests that the shared breeding environment potentially acts as a significant determinant shaping their gut microbiota. We also show sex- and age-specific patterns of gut microbiota: female adults maintain a higher diversity than males, and juveniles are enriched in Rhizobiaceae and Exiguobacterium due to their vegetative food resource. Our study not only provides a comprehensive descriptive information for future investigations on the diversity, functionality, and determinants of avian microbiomes, but also underscores the importance of microbial communities in broader ecological contexts.

Climatic variation influences annual survival of an island‐breeding tropical shorebird

Global biodiversity loss is a major environmental concern. The wildlife on islands are particularly vulnerable to threats posed by alien predators, habitat loss and overexploitation. Effective conservation management of vulnerable species requires reliable information on vital population rates for all life stages and an understanding of key environmental drivers. However, demographic data are often not available for island populations before they decline or are extirpated. Here, we use Cormack–Jolly–Seber (CJS) models and 15 years of data for 1370 juveniles and 687 adults to estimate apparent survival for a genetically distinct resident population of Kentish plovers Charadrius alexandrinus on the island of Maio, Cabo Verde. We report two main findings. First, environmental conditions have a large effect on demographic performance since chicks that hatch during dry years experience a tenfold reduction in first‐year survival compared to chicks that hatch during wet years. Second, female and male plovers in Maio are expected to live for 7.41 ± 0.69 (mean ± SE) years and 6.75 ± 0.64 years, respectively, due to relatively high annual survival among comparable‐sized shorebirds. High adult survival thus could buffer the population against low reproductive success that this population has experienced over the last decade. Cabo Verde is typical of tropical islands with increased development that can impact native breeders and/or will accelerate habitat loss. Thus, more frequent droughts associated with climate change may exacerbate the prospects of native wildlife on many islands.

Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) and Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) prefer shells for nesting: A field experiment

Shorebird populations are declining worldwide, mainly due to human disturbances and loss of coastal wetlands. However, supratidal habitats as saltpans could play a role in buffering human impact. Saltpans have shown to be important as feeding or breeding sites of some shorebird species. A potential conservation strategy to increase shorebird populations in saltpans is to manipulate the cues that birds use to select optimal breeding habitat. Here it is hypothesized that shorebirds are attracted to bivalve shells due to the advantages they offer. Following this hypothesis, we supplemented a restored saltpan in 2019 and 2021 with bivalve shells, expecting an increase in the number of breeding birds’ nests. More than 75% of Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) and Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) nests were found in patches with shells in both years. The best model for both species indicates that the presence of shells is the factor that most correlates with the location of nests. The probability of choosing one place over another to settle their nest increases in areas with an abundance of shells, double in the case of the Kentish Plover and triple in the case of the Little Tern. The result of this study may constitute a valuable tool for attracting birds to restored saltpans and could contribute to the success of expensive restoration projects where time is usually a constraint.

Nest attendance of the Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus in relation to temperature and incubation stage

ABSTRACT Nest attendance of Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus at an undisturbed site increased from approximately 70% in the initial days of incubation to 90–95% after day 10. During the day, nest attendance was negatively associated with ambient temperature, indicating that warm weather allowed parent birds to spend more time off the nest. At night, nest attendance was constant. Our results provide a baseline for nest attendance against which the effects of disturbance can be investigated.

Nesting Habitat Suitability of the Kentish Plover in the Arid Lands of Xinjiang, China.

Understanding the main ecological factors of the nesting habitat of shorebirds is of great significance in relation to their protection and habitat management. Habitat loss and change due to a lack of water threaten the biodiversity of shorebirds, with impacts likely to be most pronounced in arid lands. We collected the data of 144 nesting sites and 10 ecological factors during the breeding season from April to July each year in 2019 and 2020 in nine river districts in Xinjiang. The MaxEnt model was applied to assess the suitability of nesting habitats for Kentish plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) in the study area to examine the main factors affecting their nesting habitat. The most suitable nesting habitats are mostly distributed in plain reservoirs in the middle part of the Northern Slope of the Tianshan Mountains, Ebinur Lake and its eastern position in the southwestern Junggar Basin, near Ulungur Lake of the Ulungur river area and the southern Irtysh river area. The distance from water, normalized difference vegetation index, mean temperature of the breeding season, slope, and land use were the main factors affecting the nesting habitat selection of Kentish plovers. It was found that the proportion of suitable nesting habitat protected for the Kentish plovers in the study area was low (851.66 km2), accounting for only 11.02% of the total suitable nesting habitat area. In view of the scarcity and importance of water bodies in arid lands and the lack of protection for Kentish plovers at present, it is suggested to strengthen the conservation and management of the regional shorebirds and their habitats by regulating and optimizing the allocation of water resources.

Don't leave them alone! “Citizen managers” can make the difference in Italy's Kentish plover conservation

Don't leave them alone! “Citizen managers” can make the difference in Italy's Kentish plover conservation

Dispersal in Kentish Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus): adult females perform furthest movements

Dispersal is an important behavioral process that plays a significant role in, among others, speciation, population viability, and individual fitness. Despite progress in avian dispersal research, there are still many knowledge gaps. For example, it is of interest to study how dispersal propensity relates to age- and/or sex-specific patterns. Here, we investigated the role of sex and life stage on natal (i.e., movement from birth site to first breeding site) and breeding dispersal (i.e., movement between sequential breeding sites) in the Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) for dispersal events of more than 10 km. This small and inconspicuous wader is characterized by flexible mating behavior that includes monogamy, and serial polygynandry. Using a continent-wide dataset of ringing and re-encounter data throughout the species’ range in Europe, we found that adult females generally dispersed further than adult males between seasons, but we detected no sex difference in natal dispersal distances and no general difference between natal and breeding dispersal distances. Furthermore, females were the main group exhibiting ‘long-distance’ breeding dispersal, which we defined as dispersal greater than ≥ 108 km, i.e., the upper 10% percentile of our dataset. The data set included dispersal of two females that first bred in the Mediterranean before being detected breeding at the North Sea in the subsequent year, having dispersed 1290 and 1704 km, respectively. These observations represent the longest breeding dispersal observed within the genus Charadrius. Our long-distance dispersal records are consistent with low genetic differentiation between mainland populations shown in previous work. The dispersal of the Kentish Plover is likely linked to its breeding behavior: polyandrous females exhibit extensive mate searching and habitat prospecting. We recommend that the dispersal traits of Kentish Plover be incorporated into the species’ conservation and management planning to more accurately inform models of population connectivity and metapopulation dynamics.

Long-term decline in nest survival of a ground-nesting shorebird on a tropical island

Tropical islands harbour a disproportionally high number of endemic species, which face increasing threats due to habitat loss, disturbance and introduced alien predators. Long-term demographic studies are needed to understand how such threats may impact on population productivity. We report an investigation of a key demographic parameter, nest survival, over a 13-year period in a small ground-nesting shorebird on the island of Maio (Cabo Verde). Similar to many tropical islands, Maio is expected to face increased tourism, disturbance, and potential loss of nesting habitats. We monitored over 700 nests of the largest, year-round resident breeding population of Kentish plover in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago. Our work produced three important findings. First, we show that nest survival differed among the major habitats of the main breeding site, the Salinas do Porto Inglês, because nests in the salt-extraction area had higher daily survival rates DSR = 0.9654 ± 0.0076 SE than nests in grasslands DSR = 0.9557 ± 0.0038 SE. The salt-extraction is a dynamic habitat that is naturally regulated by rainfall and sea water inflow and managed with traditional methods for salt-extraction. Kentish plovers breed on small islets surrounded by salty water where mammalian predators may have restricted access. Second, we found that breeding densities of plovers decreased from 0.11 nests/ha to 0.03 nests/ha over 13 years. Last, we show that nest survival declined from 0.9784 ± 0.0107 in 2007 to 0.8967 ± 0.0401 in 2019. We suggest that the declining breeding density and nest survival may be driven by a combination of ecological factors including predation by native and introduced species, and by increased human disturbance. To help maintain sustainable levels of nest survival and to ensure long-term persistence of this Kentish plover population, we propose to incorporate traditional Salinas management into direct conservation actions, to reduce human disturbance and manage nest predators to help nest survival on tropical islands.

Nest-relief behaviors and usage of call types in the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

Nest-relief behaviors and usage of call types in the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

Variations in the Reproductive Strategies of Different Charadrius alexandrinus Populations in Xinjiang, China.

Due to the influence of bio-geographical and environmental factors, as well as anthropogenic landscape features, organisms show different reproductive strategies among different populations. There is a lack of detailed information on the reproductive biology of Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus in arid lands in Central Asia. In this study, we summarized the characteristics of the reproductive biology of three geographically distinct plover populations in Aibi Lake in northwestern Xinjiang, Taitema Lake in southern Xinjiang and artificial reservoirs around Urumqi City in northern Xinjiang, based on 440 eggs from 158 nests observed and analyzed from April to July of 2019 and 2020. We found that there was no significant difference in clutch size among the three populations. However, the egg size of the Taitema Lake population was significantly larger than those of the other two populations, whilst the egg volume and clutch volume of the artificial reservoirs' populations were significantly larger than that of Aibi Lake. With the postponement of laying dates, the northern and northwestern populations showed the characteristics of a small clutch size and a relatively small egg size, respectively, and a decrease in reproductive output. The heavier female plovers in Taitema Lake laid eggs earlier, and there was a significantly positive correlation between female body mass and clutch size and egg size. The tarsometatarsus length of the female plovers was significantly positively correlated with the reproductive output in all three populations. The model selection results show that female body size and ambient temperature restrict the egg size and reproductive output of Kentish plovers, which is consistent with the upper limit hypothesis of the maternal condition and maternal constraint. Our data support the hypothesis that Kentish plovers show distinct flexibility in their breeding strategies to cope with the harsh natural environment in the arid lands of Xinjiang, China. The results of a relatively high average clutch size and average egg size imply that the saline wetlands of Western China are important breeding habitats for Kentish plovers.