I photographed a few Lesser Sand Plover in October at Al Uqair and as this species has recently been split by the IOC it is now named Tibetan Sand Plover. This is because a recent paper using genetic analysis of the sand plover complex has concluded that Lesser Sand Plover should be treated as two species, not one. Siberian Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus, with subspecies mongolus and stegmanni and Tibetan Sand Plover Charadrius atrifrons, with subspecies atrifrons, pamirensis and schaeferi. In the Eastern Province it is mainly 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 is 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 status: 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.
