BLACK-HEADED/CROWNED PLOVER HYBRID near Satao Camp,
Tsavo East National Park.


Dear All,
Checking the register of all Avian proven hybridisation, I found that
in the African Vanellus, there has only ever been one recorded
instance of interspecific hybridisation. This is a bit surprising
considering the close proximity that the species live. The one
recorded mix is Blacksmith and Spurwing Plover. Some years ago I found
one at Lake Nakuru NP, and have attached an image. It would be
beautiful if it were a “real” species!
On 29th March, I was in Tsavo East NP with Mike Davidson and Fleur
Ng’Weno, and just passing a rain fed pool, I noticed a bird feeding in
the surrounding vegetation that was immediately recognisable as a
Black-headed/Crowned Plover hybrid. I took some video and a few
images, and Mike did likewise.
The lower part of the bird looks like a Crowned Plover, lacking the
central throat to breast stripe and black neck patch of Black-headed.
The head however showed the pattern of Black-headed with a large white
forehead, striped face pattern and a short peaked crest. It had both
the white nuchal patch and a white line under the black top to the
crown. Also whilst lacking the black high collar of Black-headed it
did have the black line down the back of the neck, which is brown in
Crowned. It lacked the red bare loral skin of Black-headed and had a
black bar across the base of the bill like Crowned, but above this was
the extensive white forehead of Black-headed. The underparts were
brownish above the chest, neatly contrasting against the white lower
belly as in Crowned. Overall the bias was to Crowned, but the head was
more of a mixture.
Whilst watching it a small flock of Crowned Plovers took off noisily
and flew towards this bird, it immediately rose to join them and
although the bird was calling, it was completely lost in the cacophony
of the plovers, and as the call of Black-headed is so very different,
could be assumed to sound like a Crowned.
Some images of the bird are attached.
What strikes me about both this and the Spursmith hybrid is that both
are so clean, not the untidy mess that would have been imagined in
birds with complex patterns. Both plovers were common in the area,
probably slightly more Crowned than Black-headed.
Best to all
Brian