Adults: Upperparts, brownish, with dark chestnut shoulder bars. Underparts, white, with a broad, black 'V' mark on the lower breast. Face, white. Frons, black. Eyeline, black. Wing-coverts, pale and streaked, with a chestnut shoulder patch. In flight, faint white wing-bar is visible. Tail, black, tipped and edged white. Eyering, red. Bill, red with black tip. Legs, reddish to yellowish.
Juveniles: Plainer, with no black 'V' mark on lower breast.
Immatures: Lacks breastband and black frons. Shoulder patch is paler chestnut.
Other Names (World)
Black-fronted Dotterel, Black-fronted Plover, Guttersnipe
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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BirdLife International Species Factsheet