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Red-breasted Dotterel
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New Zealand Plover
Anarhynchus obscurus
The New Zealand dotterel (Anarhynchus obscurus, synonym: Charadrius obscurus) is a species of shorebird found only in certain areas of New Zealand. It is also called the New Zealand plover or red-breasted plover, and its Māori names include tūturiwhatu, pukunui, and kūkuruatu.
There are two subspecies. The southern subspecies is critically endangered and was nearing extinction with about 70 individuals remaining in 1992. Conservation measures increased this nearly 300 by 2010, but a further decline has occurred to an estimated 101 individuals in 2024.
From the article New Zealand dotterel on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
It is a large, bulky plover, with a total length of 26–28 cm (10–11 in). The southern population is heavier, weighing 162 g (5.7 oz) on average compared to the northern 144 g (5.1 oz).
Range & habitat
New Zealand plover are usually found in two disjunct populations in New Zealand, usually on sandy beaches and sand spits or feeding in tidal estuaries. The northern population occurs on the North Island and the southern population occurs at the southern end of the South Island and on Stewart Island/Rakiura.
Wikipedia: “Distribution and habitat”
What it does
New Zealand plovers feed on small sand hoppers and insects, however they will sometimes feed on small aquatic creatures like small fish and crabs.
Wikipedia: “Diet”
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Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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Every page naming Anarhynchus obscurus in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 1505632.