Medium. Slightly upturned, long robust bill and long legs. Sexes similar.
Adults: Breeding: Upperparts, brown, finely streaked dark brown, and whitish feather edges. Forehead, eyebrow, white or buffish. Eye, black. Underparts, range from pale orange-buff to rich rufous. In flight, shows a white wingbar and white edges to rump and tail. Bill, black and robust, tip slightly upturned. Legs, olive-grey and short. Non-breeding: Like breeding plumage but distinctly pale. Upperparts, grey-brown, with broad whitish feather edges. More white on forehead and face. Underparts, white with faint pale grey-brown breastband, often restricted to shoulders.
Male: Underparts dark red.
Female: Underparts more orange-buff to rich rufous.
Juveniles: Similar to adult breeding plumage but paler, with feather edges buff and with a pale orange-buff wash on breast and belly. Flecked dark brown on breast and flanks.
Other Names (World)
Southern Red-breasted Plover, Red-breasted Plover, Red-breasted Dotterel, New Zealand Plover, New Zealand Dotterel, Tuturiwhatatu pukunui, Paturiwhata
New Zealand Plover (Charadrius obscurus) [XC296049]
by nick talbot from Whangaparaoa, Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (alarm call)
New Zealand Plover (Charadrius obscurus) [XC390381]
by Dan Lane from Te Kouma, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, New Zealand (call)
Nest
A depression in moss or sand, usally in the lee of a rock or thicket.
Eggs (Guide)
3; buff or olive, heavily blotched with black and dark brown; pyriform. Incubation: 28 - 32 days; by both parents.
Young
Fledge in 29 - 51 days.
Subspecies
Has been linked with Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus). Recently divided in two subspecies, based on differences in morphometrics, plumage, ecology and behaviour.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
aquilonius Dowding, 1994 - North I, New Zealand. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Northern Red-breasted Plover (Charadrius aquilonius).
obscurus Gmelin, 1789 - Stewart I, New Zealand.
Similar Species
Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)
Slightly smaller. Non-breeding with non-breeding. Legs are longer. Upperparts are plain grey-brown. Underparts white except for grey-brown shoulder tabs, which may or may not form a thin breast band.
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet