Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence under 20,000 km² combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (under 10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be over 10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). The population trend appears to be increasing, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (over 30% decline over ten years or three generations). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
The global population size is estimated at 21,001-75,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2023), which equates to 14,000-50,000 mature individuals. The overall population trend is suspected to be increasing over three generations (14.67 years) (Wetlands International 2023).
Trend justification
.
Behaviour This species is largely sedentary but does undertake local irregular nomadic movements in response to changes in riverine water levels (Hayman et al. 1986, del Hoyo et al. 1996). North of the equator the species breeds from January to April or May when the water levels in rivers are the lowest (the timing of breeding has not been recorded in the southern parts of species's range) (del Hoyo et al. 1996). It breeds in solitary pairs (del Hoyo et al. 1996) and is usually observed in pairs or small groups when not breeding (Hayman et al. 1986), often migrating in flocks of up to 60 individuals (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Habitat The species inhabits the middle stretches (Hayman et al. 1986) of large lowland tropical rivers with bars of sand and gravel (which it uses for nesting) (del Hoyo et al. 1996). It often occurs around human settlements near rivers (del Hoyo et al. 1996) and may occasionally use other wetland habitats (Hayman et al. 1986) (e.g. lakes or ponds) (Urban et al. 1986) and be found away from water when not breeding or when rivers are in spate (Hayman et al. 1986). It generally avoids heavily forested areas and estuarine waters however (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Diet Its diet consists predominantly of insects (Urban et al. 1986) (adult and larval aquatic and terrestrial forms but especially small flies) as well as worms, molluscs (del Hoyo et al. 1996) and seeds (Urban et al. 1986). Breeding site The nest is a deep scrape (del Hoyo et al. 1996) where the eggs are incubated by being buried in warm sand (Hayman et al. 1986) on an exposed sandbank in a riverbed (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
The species is threatened by habitat changes resulting from the damming of rivers (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
Text account compilers
Rutherford, C.A.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Egyptian Plover Pluvianus aegyptius. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/egyptian-plover-pluvianus-aegyptius on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.