Red-capped Plovers, also known as the Red-capped Dotterels
Plovers
The Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), also known as the Red-capped Dotterel, is a small plover closely related to the Kentish Plover.
Description
White underparts and forehead; upperparts mainly grey-brown. Adult male has rufous crown and hindneck.
Adult female has paler rufous and grey brown crown and hindneck, with pale loral stripe (= loral area is the area between beak and eyes). Upperwing shows dark brown remiges (flight feathers - typically only visible in flight) and primary coverts with white wingbar in flight.
Measurements: length 14-16 cm; wingspan 27-34 cm; weight 35-40 g.
Distribution
Widespread in Australia; straggler to New Zealand
Habitat
Coastal estuaries, bays, beaches, sandflats and mudflats; inland saline wetlands.
Food
Mainly small invertebrates, especially molluscs, crustaceans and worms.
Breeding
Nests on ground in vicinity of wetlands; nest a small depression with no minimal lining. Clutch of 2 pale yellowish-brown eggs, irregularly spotted black. Incubation period 30 days; incubating mainly done by female. Young precocial and nidifugous.
Conservation
With a large range and no evidence of significant population decline, this species’ conservation status is of Least Concern.
References
- BirdLife International. (2006). Species factsheet: Charadrius ruficapillus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 12 February 2007
- Marchant, S.; Higgins, P.J.; & Davies, J.N. (eds). (1994). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 2: Raptors to Lapwings. Oxford University Press: Melbourne. ISBN 0-19-553069-1
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