About the Shore Plover
The shore plover, also known as the shore dotterel, is a small plover endemic to New Zealand. Once found all around the New Zealand coast, it is now restricted to a few offshore islands. It is one of the world's rarest shorebirds, with a population of roughly 250.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The shore plover is about 20 cm long, brown above and white below, with a black (male) or brown (female) mask; the brown back feathers have narrow pale fringes, giving a scaly appearance at close range. There is a distinctive white strip circling its head below its brown skullcap. Its legs are bright orange-red, and the bill orange-red (brighter in males than females) with a sharply defined dark tip. The wings are brown with a narrow white wingbar along the full length, and the tail brown with white sides.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in March · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Learn the Shore Plover for real
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