Medium small. Long, thin bill, long dark legs, dark patches at sides of breast. Sexes similar.
Male: Forehead, eyebrow, collar, underparts, including underwing, white. Lores, eyestripe, forecrown, patches at the sides of breast, black. Breast patch continuous forming a complete border to a white collar. Eye, dark brown. Crown, nape, rufous brown. Back, wing coverts, grey, greater and primary coverts tipped white forming a white wing bar with white bases to primaries and secondaries, giving a scaly or mottled appearance. Center of rump, central tail feathers, dark brown. Sides of rump, outer tail feathers, white. Bill, black. Legs, dark grey, often with yellowish or pinkish wash.
Female: Like male plumage but lacks black markings. Crown always washed rufous.
Malaysian Plover (Charadrius peronii) [XC65962]
by Joshua Chong from Lake Tasitolu, East Timor (call)
Malaysian Plover (Charadrius peronii) [XC79282]
by id from Dalupiri, Babuyan Islands, Philippines (call)
Subspecies
Has been linked with Javan Plover (Charadrius javanicus) for biogeographical reasons, but structurally quite different. Proposed subspecies chaseni is erroneous.
No subspecies.
Similar Species
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)
Slightly larger. Male with breeding male. Bill longer. Black breast band is not continuous.
Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)
Similar size. Lacks a white collar. Head and shoulders are fox-red rather than rufous. Eyestripe, extends only to area immediately behind eye. Dark bands on sides of breast lighter and shorter. Bill, thicker. Legs, shorter and black.
Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)
Slightly smaller. Juveniles and non-breeding individuals with a broken breast band. Also has a complete white collar but border is paler. Eyestripe is broader and darker.
Compare Images
BirdLife International Species Factsheet