7 thoughts on “Tibetan Sandplover (Charadrius atrifrons)”
The second iteration of State of India’s Birds is nearing its completion and we have some information on the long-term and current trends of Lesser Sand Plover in India. Our large-scale trend analysis uses eBird data till March 2023. Two more months will be included for the final report.
Tibetan (Lesser) Sand Plover has three subspecies – of which the nominate atrifrons is believed to winter mostly in South Asia. Other subspecies, pamirensis is only a passage migrant while schaeferi may perhaps be only a vagrant. There are no validated records of Siberian (Lesser) Sand Plover from South Asia. Hence, our trend data should entirely be treated as for Tibetan Sand Plover – mostly of the nominate subspecies.
Compared to the pre-2000 levels, the 2022 population has declined by 76% (71-81% at 95% CI). The data density of pre-2000 levels is much lower compared to 2022. However, worryingly, the decline is continuing at a current annual decline of 4.6% (2.8-6.4% at 95% CI) during 2015-2022 period. Extrapolating the 95% CI lower bound to three generations (13 years, 2015-2028), it amounts to a decline of at least 31% breaching the threshold of Vulnerable under Criteria A4b (i.e., including past and future). The decline trend graph is being shared separately. This subspecies also breeds sparingly in the trans-Himalaya but there is not enough data to specifically focus on breeding range trends.
This decline is not unexpected as most coastal shorebirds visiting India are undergoing a continuing decline and it is only natural that this decline reflects in this species as well – being one of our most common shorebirds. Coastal habitats in India are threatened due to various factors including habitat loss and degradation, hunting & poaching, blocking of sea mouth, aquaculture, non-conventional salt production, water level management, plastic pollution, loss of beaches due to marine erosion and consequent erection of sea-walls, sewage and industrial effluents, conversion of estuaries into ports & jetties, power plants, wind farms, and transmission lines, tall buildings/towers, tourism pressure and associated proliferation of stray dogs and crows etc.
We would like to know whether any other monitoring groups (E. Africa, SE Asia) have found similar patterns, at least locally, in this species – indicating a declining trend.
This species is still widely not recognised until very recently and likely to be mixed with Siberian Sandplover in Myanmar, although this has not been verified but quite likely accoording to preliminary sound and sigh recording analysis.
However, assuming that the large majority of ‘Lesser’ Sandplovers in Myanmar will refer to this species we can confirm a similar decline over the past 10-15 years at several different locations in Myanmar. However none of these are published as of yet. However in Nan Thar Island in Rakhine state the numbers dropped to 50% by 2023 from 2009.
In the Ayeyarwady delta the numbers varied but recently over the past 5 years declined by almost 80% according to one of the same observer.
The majority of up to 50,000 birds is still recorded in the Gulf of Mottama. This area is notoriously difficult to survey but flocks counts over the past 10 years revealed a drastic decline of up to 40-50%. A more detailed data analysis is necessary but preliminary data suggest a consistent and recently accelerated decline.
All areas experienced resuming hunting and trapping activities, which has increased since 2021 after livelihoods for local people declined again after the coup.
It is not clear if these observations allow to conclude a red-listing of VU . Maybe together with the observations from India it would justify this, but it should at least be listed as NT in my opinion.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 26 June 2023. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 26 June 2023, when discussions will re-open.
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2023 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion. We thank contributors (especially the State of India’s Birds Partnership and Dr Christoph Zöckler) for their comments, which have been immensely helpful in clarifying the current status and trend of this newly split species. It is clear that in the eastern part of its range, this species is declining, potentially rapidly, such that it is now evident the global population trend should be documented as ‘Declining’ rather than ‘Unknown’. However, trend data of pamirensis, while incomplete, are indicative of a stable trend and this taxon comprises more than 50% of the global population. Accordingly, a decline in atrifrons would have to be steeper still than that being indicated here to approach the thresholds (i.e., Near Threatened) for listing as threatened under the IUCN Red List criteria. For now, the species is therefore interpreted to be a declining Least Concern. However, we seek further input on data from the Middle East and East Africa which may help clarify the status of pamirensis.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 2 July 2023, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 10 July 2023.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Tibetan Sandplover is recommended to be listed as Least Concern. In the updated species factsheet, we report all of the observers’ findings reported here (for which many thanks) including the fact that in some parts of this species’ range it is declining (perhaps rapidly).
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2023.2 GTB Forum process. The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
The second iteration of State of India’s Birds is nearing its completion and we have some information on the long-term and current trends of Lesser Sand Plover in India. Our large-scale trend analysis uses eBird data till March 2023. Two more months will be included for the final report.
Tibetan (Lesser) Sand Plover has three subspecies – of which the nominate atrifrons is believed to winter mostly in South Asia. Other subspecies, pamirensis is only a passage migrant while schaeferi may perhaps be only a vagrant. There are no validated records of Siberian (Lesser) Sand Plover from South Asia. Hence, our trend data should entirely be treated as for Tibetan Sand Plover – mostly of the nominate subspecies.
Compared to the pre-2000 levels, the 2022 population has declined by 76% (71-81% at 95% CI). The data density of pre-2000 levels is much lower compared to 2022. However, worryingly, the decline is continuing at a current annual decline of 4.6% (2.8-6.4% at 95% CI) during 2015-2022 period. Extrapolating the 95% CI lower bound to three generations (13 years, 2015-2028), it amounts to a decline of at least 31% breaching the threshold of Vulnerable under Criteria A4b (i.e., including past and future). The decline trend graph is being shared separately. This subspecies also breeds sparingly in the trans-Himalaya but there is not enough data to specifically focus on breeding range trends.
This decline is not unexpected as most coastal shorebirds visiting India are undergoing a continuing decline and it is only natural that this decline reflects in this species as well – being one of our most common shorebirds. Coastal habitats in India are threatened due to various factors including habitat loss and degradation, hunting & poaching, blocking of sea mouth, aquaculture, non-conventional salt production, water level management, plastic pollution, loss of beaches due to marine erosion and consequent erection of sea-walls, sewage and industrial effluents, conversion of estuaries into ports & jetties, power plants, wind farms, and transmission lines, tall buildings/towers, tourism pressure and associated proliferation of stray dogs and crows etc.
We would like to know whether any other monitoring groups (E. Africa, SE Asia) have found similar patterns, at least locally, in this species – indicating a declining trend.
This species is still widely not recognised until very recently and likely to be mixed with Siberian Sandplover in Myanmar, although this has not been verified but quite likely accoording to preliminary sound and sigh recording analysis.
However, assuming that the large majority of ‘Lesser’ Sandplovers in Myanmar will refer to this species we can confirm a similar decline over the past 10-15 years at several different locations in Myanmar. However none of these are published as of yet. However in Nan Thar Island in Rakhine state the numbers dropped to 50% by 2023 from 2009.
In the Ayeyarwady delta the numbers varied but recently over the past 5 years declined by almost 80% according to one of the same observer.
The majority of up to 50,000 birds is still recorded in the Gulf of Mottama. This area is notoriously difficult to survey but flocks counts over the past 10 years revealed a drastic decline of up to 40-50%. A more detailed data analysis is necessary but preliminary data suggest a consistent and recently accelerated decline.
All areas experienced resuming hunting and trapping activities, which has increased since 2021 after livelihoods for local people declined again after the coup.
It is not clear if these observations allow to conclude a red-listing of VU . Maybe together with the observations from India it would justify this, but it should at least be listed as NT in my opinion.
Nothing to add on behalf of Lebanon as no records have shown this species passing over or residing in the country.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments until 26 June 2023. We will now analyse and interpret the new information, and we will post a preliminary decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 26 June 2023, when discussions will re-open.
Preliminary proposal
Based on available information, our preliminary proposal for the 2023 Red List would be to adopt the proposed classifications outlined in the initial forum discussion. We thank contributors (especially the State of India’s Birds Partnership and Dr Christoph Zöckler) for their comments, which have been immensely helpful in clarifying the current status and trend of this newly split species. It is clear that in the eastern part of its range, this species is declining, potentially rapidly, such that it is now evident the global population trend should be documented as ‘Declining’ rather than ‘Unknown’. However, trend data of pamirensis, while incomplete, are indicative of a stable trend and this taxon comprises more than 50% of the global population. Accordingly, a decline in atrifrons would have to be steeper still than that being indicated here to approach the thresholds (i.e., Near Threatened) for listing as threatened under the IUCN Red List criteria. For now, the species is therefore interpreted to be a declining Least Concern. However, we seek further input on data from the Middle East and East Africa which may help clarify the status of pamirensis.
There is now a period for further comments until the final deadline on 2 July 2023, after which the recommended categorisations will be put forward to IUCN.
The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion. We greatly appreciate the time and effort invested in commenting. The window for consultation is now closed and we are unable to accept any more comments. We will analyse and interpret the information, and we will post a final decision on this species’ Red List status on this page on 10 July 2023.
Recommended categorisation to be put forward to IUCN
The final categorisation for this species has not changed. Tibetan Sandplover is recommended to be listed as Least Concern. In the updated species factsheet, we report all of the observers’ findings reported here (for which many thanks) including the fact that in some parts of this species’ range it is declining (perhaps rapidly).
Many thanks for everyone who contributed to the 2023.2 GTB Forum process. The final 2023 Red List categories will be published on the BirdLife and IUCN websites in December 2023, following further checking of information relevant to the assessments by both BirdLife and IUCN.