- Elseyornis melanops
Charadrius melanops
Identification
Adult
- Black face-mask and breast-band
- Pale brown upperparts
- Chestnut shoulder bar
- White underparts
- Pinkish-orange legs
- Red bill with black tip
- Dark eye ringed red
- Short tail
Juvenile: lacks the breast-band but a brown band appears as the bird matures.
Distribution
Australia (except arid areas), Tasmania and New Zealand.
Taxonomy
A monotypic species[1].
Has, in the past been included in the genus Charadrius[2].
Habitat
Margins of lakes, swamps, dams: less often saline lagoons, rarely coastal.
Behaviour
Movement
Typically runs and pecks when feeding. Fast flyer.
Diet
The diet includes insects and small molluscs
Breeding
Eggs are laid in a shallow scrape, often on pebbly ground, usually close to water. It may have more then one brood per year. Both parents take responsibility for rearing the young.
References
- 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.
- Avibase
- Birds in Backyards
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Black-fronted Dotterel. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 14 May 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Black-fronted_Dotterel
External Links
