From Opus

Photo by zweiblumen
Location: Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands

Charadrius falklandicus

[edit] Identification

17cm. Two breast black bands although the upper one is sometimes incomplete, white forehead and lores, pale rufous crown and hindneck, duller in the female. Out of the breeding season the black bands become grey and the rufous becomes grey-brown.

[edit] Distribution

Breeds southern Chile, Argentina and Falkland Islands; winters to southern Brazil.

Bird with incomplete breast band but more typical crown and neck
Photo by StrikingSlug
Location: Bertha's Beach,Falkland Islands, December 2008

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Freshwater lakes, salt marshes, rocky shores, sandy shores, estuaries, mud-flats and sandy beaches.

[edit] Behaviour

• Breeding: Nests are made in shallow scrapes in heath or grassland behind the beach. 2-4 eggs are laid from October onwards, and are incubated for 4 weeks.
• Diet: Includes insects and other invertebrates found amongst coastal vegetation, seaweed and rockpools.

Non-breeding plumage
Photo by canutus
Location: Cariló, Buenos Aires, Argentina

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.

• List of references

[edit] External Links