THE KENTISH SAND PLOVER 169 



Africa south to the intertropical realm, the Mekran 

 coast, the Indian Peninsula, Burma, the Malay 

 countries, China, and Japan. The presence of 

 several allied forms in Asia makes the definition of 

 the winter area of this species somewhat difficult. 



The Kentish Plover is seldom found far from 

 salt water, either on the rough sand and pebble- 

 strewn beaches of the sea, or on similar ground 

 by the margins of salt lakes farther inland. This 

 Plover arrives on the British coasts towards the 

 end of April or early in May. Its favourite resorts 

 are sandy beaches interspersed with patches of 

 shingle and pebbles. Here its actions are very 

 similar to those of the better-known Ringed Plover. 

 It searches for food on the very margin of the 

 incoming tide, running daintily hither and thither, 

 or standing for a moment quite still, until the next 

 spent wave causes it to trip lightly out of the way. 

 The poor little bird is too rare in England now to 

 display many social tendencies during the summer, 

 the few scattered pairs keeping to their own 

 particular haunts; but in autumn parties may 

 sometimes be seen, broods and their parents 

 migrating together. The flight of this species is 

 very similar to that of the commoner Ringed Plover, 

 rapid and well-sustained, and often accompanied by 



