Male: Upper parts, yellowish-buff, streaked dark grey brown. Forehead, face, upper breast, white buff. Iris, dark brown. Back of crown, nape, sandy buff, streaked dark brown. Black bar over crown continues downwards through eye forming a vertical facial stripe. Foremost crown, white. Black mark behind eye joins a black collar which extends to a 'V' on chest. A rich chestnut inverted 'V' below black 'V' separates white abdomen from lower breast and dark buff flank. Bill, black, grading to paler grey or pinkish at base. Legs, feet, dull yellow-brown.
Female: Black areas possibly narrower and not as well defined as male.
Juveniles: Duller than adult. Black markings on head and breast. Band on lower belly paler chestnut.
Other Scientific Names
Peltohyas australis [Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)]
Other Names (World)
Inland Dotterel, Inland Plover, Desert Plover, Australian Dotterel, Australian Courser, Prairie Plover
Inland Dotterel (Peltohyas australis) [XC40817]
by Pieter de Groot Boersma from Between Hay and Deniliquin, NSW, Australia (call)
Inland Dotterel (Peltohyas australis) [XC585973]
by Mark Harper from Tibooburra, Unincorporated Far West, New South Wales, Australia (call)
Breeding Season (Guide)
Throughout the year but mainly April - October.
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Nest
A depression in the ground. In pairs or loose colonies.
Eggs (Guide)
Usually 3; brown or rich buff, marked sparingly black; oval to pyriform; about 37 x 27 mm. Incubation: by both sexes.
Young
Precocial, nidifugous.
Subspecies
Subspecies whitlocki has been proposed for birds in central and south-western Australia, but doubtfully valid.
No subspecies.
Similar Species
Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis)
Underwing, white. Legs, longer. Bill, finer. Lacks the Y-shaped breast pattern.
Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella)
Larger. Bill, hooked at tip. Underwing covets, dark, primaries, secondaries somewhat lighter. Rump, white. In flight, has extremely long, pointed wings, tail is black with white tip and outer edges. Lacks the Y-shaped breast pattern.
Oriental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum)
Larger. Bill, hooked at tip. Underwing coverts, chestnut, primaries, secondaries much darker. Rump, white. In flight, has extremely long, pointed wings, tail is black and forked. Lacks the Y-shaped breast pattern.
Compare Images
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
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