It is Africa’s smallest and palest Plover and with a total population estimated at 18 000 individuals, the Chestnut-banded Plover (Charadrius pallidus) is one of the birding specials in Namibia. The chestnut breast band is diagnostic in adults with the juveniles only sporting an incomplete grey band. Adult birds are only about 15cm in length and they are easily overlooked unless moving.
Their habitat consists of Salt Pans (of which the Etosha Pan in northern Namibia is a massive example), soda lakes (East Africa), estuaries and coastal wetlands. In Namibia they are found on the Etosha Salt Pan when wet but the Walvis Bay coastal lagoon is home to the majority of the world population and in fact one of the reasons why this wetland is considered a RAMSAR site in terms of water bird habitat protection. They are a sought after bird on our Namibia Endemic and Namibia, Botswana and Zambia birding safaris.