Charadrius asiaticus -- Pallas, 1773 ANIMALIA -- CHORDATA -- AVES -- CHARADRIIFORMES -- CHARADRIIDAE Common names: Caspian Plover; Pluvier asiatique European Red List Assessment European Red List Status RE -- Regionally Extinct, (IUCN version 3.1) Assessment Information Year published: 2015 Date assessed: 2015-03-31 Assessor(s): BirdLife International Reviewer(s): Symes, A. Compiler(s): Ashpole, J., Burfield, I., Ieronymidou, C., Pople, R., Wheatley, H. & Wright, L. Assessment Rationale European regional assessment: Regionally Extinct (RE) EU27 regional assessment: Not Applicable (NA)

This species formerly bred in European Russia, where it numbered 100-500 pairs but apparently declined to extinction sometime after 1980, with only occasional records during the 1990s and 2000s (none of breeding birds). It is therefore classified as Regionally Extinct in Europe.

Not Applicable (NA) for the EU27 region. Occurrence Countries/Territories of Occurrence Native: Azerbaijan; Russian Federation Vagrant: Cyprus; France; Germany; Greece; Italy; Malta; Norway; Romania; Turkey; United Kingdom Population The European population is considered to be extinct. The species does not occur in the EU27. Trend The species became regionally extinct in Europe after 1980. Habitats and Ecology This species breeds in desert and desert steppe near water amongst sparse shrub vegetation (Wiersma and Boesman 2013) up to about 800 m (Snow and Perrins 1998). It is primarily associated with saline habitats such as saltpans, saline soils subject to seasonal flooding (Wiersma and Boesman 2013), inland saltmarshes (Johnsgard 1981) and alkali flats (Flint et al. 1984). The species concentrates in flocks after breeding ready for migration on the banks of lakes, rivers, water-holes trampled by cattle (Wiersma and Boesman 2013) and cultivated land (Hayman et al. 1986). During migration the species has been recorded on damp sandbanks and pebble beds (Hockey et al. 2005). The birds arrive on their breeding grounds from late-March to early-May and egg-laying begins in April. The nest of this species is a shallow scrape, sparsely lined with vegetation and debris, on open ground or amongst low vegetation. Clutch size is three eggs (Wiersma and Boesman 2013). The species is primarily carnivorous throughout both the breeding and non-breeding seasons. Whilst breeding the species takes mainly adult and larval insects (Johnsgard 1981, Wiersma and Boesman 2013), although it will occasionally take plant material. During the non-breeding season beetles, termites, grasshoppers and small snails are the main contributors to this species's diet, and it is often observed hunting for insects in town refuse heaps and cattle dung. This species is fully migratory. It winters in Africa between August and October (Wiersma and Boesman 2013). Habitats & Altitude Habitat (level 1 - level 2) Importance Occurrence Artificial/Aquatic - Salt Exploitation Sites suitable breeding Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land suitable breeding Grassland - Temperate suitable breeding Marine Coastal/Supratidal - Coastal Sand Dunes suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over ha) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable passage Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools suitable breeding Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Lakes and suitable breeding Flats Altitude 0-800 m Occasional altitudinal limits Threats The main threat to this species is the destruction of natural steppe and grassland though overgrazing and conversion to intensive agricultural practices, especially within the European (breeding) part of its range (Wiersma and Boesman 2013). The European population is on the edge of its world range, conditions may well be suboptimal for the species within the region, making it particularly vulnerable to habitat change (Tucker and Heath 1994). Threats & Impacts Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses Agriculture & Annual & perennial Timing Scope Severity Impact aquaculture non-timber crops Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact (scale unknown/ unrecorded) Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Agriculture & Livestock farming & Timing Scope Severity Impact aquaculture ranching (scale Ongoing Majority (50-90%) Negligible declines Low Impact unknown/ unrecorded) Stresses Ecosystem conversion; Ecosystem degradation Conservation Conservation Actions Underway CMS Appendix II. Bern Convention Appendix II. There are currently no conservation actions known to be in place for this species.

Conservation Actions Proposed The maintenance of large areas of suitable habitat and establishing areas of desert steppe reserves would ensure population viability. In addition there is a need to moderate agricultural intensification and avoid overgrazing within areas of breeding birds. Research should be conducted into population ecology, distribution and the habitat and feeding requirements of the species (Tucker and Heath 1994). Bibliography Flint, V. E.; Boehme, R. L.; Kostin, Y. V.; Kuznetsov, A. A. 1984. A field guide to birds of the USSR. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey. Hagemeijer, W.J.M. & Blair, M.J. 1997. The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. T & A D Poyser, London. Hayman, P.; Marchant, J.; Prater, A. J. 1986. Shorebirds. Croom Helm, London. Hockey, P. A. R.; Dean, W. R. J.; Ryan, P. G. 2005. Roberts birds of southern Africa. Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. Johnsgard, P. A. 1981. The plovers, sandpipers and snipes of the world. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, U.S.A. and London. Snow, D. W.; Perrins, C. M. 1998. The Birds of the Western Palearctic vol. 1: Non-Passerines. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Tucker, G.M. & Heath, M.F. (1994) Birds in Europe: their conservation status. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series no. 3). Bibliography Wiersma, P. (1996). Caspian Plover (Charadrius asiaticus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2014). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53847 on 2 February 2015). Wiersma, P. (1996). Caspian Plover (Charadrius asiaticus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2014). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53847 on 21 January 2015). Wiersma, P. & Boesman, P. (2013). Caspian Plover (Charadrius asiaticus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2013). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53847 on 24 April 2015). Map (see overleaf)