St. Helena Plover - BirdForum Opus

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Charadrius sanctaehelenae

Photo by crispash
Location: Deadwood Plain, St Helena

Alternate name: Wirebird

Identification

15 cm. Long-legged, long thin bill, black head markings, buffy underparts. Immature lacks head markings and is duller.

Distribution

St. Helena Island (Gulf of Guinea).

Taxonomy

A monotypic species.

Habitat

Short grassland; open forest clearings.

Behaviour

The diet includes a wide range of invertebrates.

2 eggs are laid.

Conservation Status

Classified as Critically Endangered in the 2008 IUCN Red List (BirdLife International, 2008). Populations have declined recently due to habitat loss (the result of changes in land use) and predation by introduced predators.

References

1. BirdLife International (2008) Species factsheet: Charadrius sanctaehelenae. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/6/2008.

External Links

Search for photos of St. Helena Plover in the gallery