- Charadrius bicinctus
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
- More narrow front bar
Distribution
Australia, New Zealand and out-lying islands.
Taxonomy
Subspecies1
- C. b. bicinctus - breeds in New Zealand and Chatham Islands; winters to Australasia
- C. b. exilis - Auckland Islands
Habitat
Beaches, mudflats, river banks, fields, dunes, tussock grasses and shingle.
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.
References
- 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
- Birds in Backyards