St. Helena Plover
Anarhynchus sanctaehelenae
VUVulnerable Endemic to St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Family
- Plovers and Lapwings (Charadriidae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The Saint Helena plover (Anarhynchus sanctaehelenae), locally known as the wirebird due to its thin legs, is a small wader endemic to the island of Saint Helena in the mid-Atlantic. The bird is similar in appearance to Kittlitz's plover and the Madagascar plover, but a little larger and an absence of chamois coloring. It is the national bird of St Helena and has been depicted on the country's coins. Populations in general have been declining.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
St. Helena Island (southern Atlantic Ocean).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Saint Helena plover
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
