This charismatic wader stands alone both in appearance & biology (genetic studies suggest that its ancestors split from the Courser/Pratincole lineage 35 million years ago). It is a large pied coastal wader with a heavy bill which is endemic to the Red Sea area wintering further south along the East African coast. Crab Plovers are colonial breeders which uniquely amongst waders nest in self-excavated underground burrows with the single large egg being laid in May. The egg develops rapidly & the youngster grows quickly but is maturing just as the Arabian summer is at its height. Why this should occur is probably linked to the Crab Plover's food supply -crabs, which reach their maximal numbers at this time.

Early August is not the best time to see Crab Plovers in Kenya as most birds are further north on the Red Sea breeding grounds but some are present year-round at Mida Creek. In early August we found a total of about 45 birds scattered over a wide area of open sand & mangrove but almost all of these were subadult birds. Numbers are highest from September to April when over 1,000 can be present.
With a bit of care & a slow stealthy pace Crab Plovers can be approached quite closely but be wary of the speed of the incoming tide & be prepared to get a little wet.

My single trip to Mida Creek was in an afternoon but unfortunately the vehicle made available was not road-worthy & predictably broke down on the main road. I only managed about 80-90 minutes of birding before the sun set -the area is best worked at dawn or late afternoon, especially in association with a rising tide (beware of being trapped by the incoming tide).