From Opus

Breeding Plumage
Photo by Peter Ericsson
Abel Tasman, New Zealand

Charadrius bicinctus

[edit] Identification

Male

• Grey brown upperparts
• White underparts
• Black upper band and wide chestnut lower band across chest
• Black eye mask
• White eyebrow
• Slim, short, black bill
• Green yellow legs

Female

• Duller
• Narrower front bar

Non-breeding Plumage
Photo by Neil Fifer
Sydney, Australia

[edit] Distribution

Australia, New Zealand and out-lying islands.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies¹

• C. b. bicinctus - breeds in New Zealand and Chatham Islands; winters to Australasia
• C. b. exilis - Auckland Islands

[edit] Habitat

Beaches, mudflats, river banks, fields, dunes, tussock grasses and shingle.

[edit] Behaviour

The diet includes mainly molluscs, crustaceans, insects; some seeds and fruit are taken.

It nests in a scrape lined with stones. Both parents incubate the eggs.

Photo by Peter Ericsson
Abel Tasman, New Zealand, October 2006

[edit] References

1. Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2008. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
2. Birds in Backyards

[edit] External Links