Gurgaon: A Greater Sand Plover (Anarhynchus leschenaultii), a migratory shorebird typically found along coastal mudflats and estuaries, was spotted at Chandu village on Saturday, marking the fifth documented record of the species in the region.This comes a day after Nitin Kumar Raghav and Kaanchan Bhagwat sighted a western reef egret at Chandu. The rare bird is usually found along India’s western and southeast and was documented in the region only for the second time.Birders Anil Gandas and Gaurav Yadav recorded the sighting during a birdwatching session. The species was last reported from Chandu in 2025, with earlier sightings in 2023 and 2021. The first documented record from Haryana dates to 2016, when it was observed in Sirsa, according to eBird data.“When we first saw the bird, we thought it was a chick of another species. We photographed it and shared the images with experienced birders for identification,” Gandas said.The Greater Sand Plover is a medium-sized wader identified by its relatively large size, long, heavy bill, and pale legs. Breeding males develop a dark facial mask and an orange wash across the forehead, neck, and breast, while non-breeding birds are sandy brown above and white below. It is often confused with the Lesser Sand Plover but is generally larger and has a heavier bill.Bird experts said inland sightings of the species are uncommon as it spends the non-breeding season mainly along coastlines.“It is primarily a coastal bird. It breeds in parts of Central Asia, including countries such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan. During migration, however, it is occasionally recorded inland,” said Pankaj Gupta, a birder with the Delhi Bird Society.The species breeds in high-altitude, arid landscapes of Central Asia before migrating south in winter, when it is most commonly found on coastal mudflats, estuaries, and sandy shores across South Asia.Birders said the repeated sightings from Chandu over the past few years suggest the area could be an important stopover site for migratory shorebirds passing through the region, highlighting the need to conserve its wetlands and open habitats.
