New Zealand Dotterels or Red-breasted Plovers (Charadrius obscurus)
Plovers
The New Zealand Dotterel or Red-breasted Plover (Charadrius obscurus) is an endangered species and it is found only in certain areas of New Zealand. Its Māori names include Tūturiwhatu, Pukunui, and Kūkuruatu. It is related to the Eurasian dotterel.
New Zealand Dotterels are shorebirds and are usually found on sandy beaches and sandspits or feeding on tidal estuaries.
Dotterels are nearing extinction with about 1300 northern dotterels, and approximately 75 or so southern dotterels.
Breeding
Parents lay eggs in the spring and summer. They nest on beaches above the high tide mark, and the nest is just a shallow hole dug in the ground, not made of twigs like a nest in a tree. The chicks hatch about 28 days after the eggs have been laid. Bacuse the nests are on the ground, chicks can walk the day they hatch and can usually fly within 6-8 weeks.
References
- BirdLife International (2006). Charadrius obscurus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is endangered
External Links:
- Department of Conservation
- J.E. Dowding; A.M. Davis (2007). New Zealand dotterel (Charadrius obscurus) recovery plan, 2004–14. (Threatened Species Recovery Plan 58). Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
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