Maori plover
| Maori plover | ||||||||
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Maori plover, Waiheke Island |
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| Systematics | ||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||
| Charadrius obscurus | ||||||||
| Gmelin , 1789 |
The Maori plover or Tuturiwhatu ( Charadrius obscurus ) is a bird in the plover family .
Spread and endangerment
The species occurs in two subspecies in New Zealand . C. o. Obscurus used to inhabit a large part of the South Island, but now only breeds inland from Stewart Island . In 2004 the population still numbered around 250 animals. C. o. Aquilonius breeds on the coast of the North Island, mainly north of the 39th parallel. The population was estimated at around 1700 animals in 2004.
The species is considered endangered. The main reasons for this are habitat degradation and disturbance by humans and introduced species such as the domestic cat . In 1993 and 2004, the New Zealand Ministry of the Environment drafted protection programs.
description
The Maori plover is the largest species of the genus Charadrius , adult animals reach a body length of 25 cm and a weight of 130 to 170 g. The back of the bird is predominantly brown, the belly is cream-colored in late summer and autumn, and strikingly red-orange in winter and spring. The strong beak is black, the legs are gray. The southern subspecies is slightly larger.
Reproduction
The Maori plover nests from September to February, mostly on wide, easily visible beaches. Three eggs are placed in a poorly worked out pit and incubated for a little over 30 days.
literature
- John E. Dowding and Alison M. Davis: New Zealand dotterel ( Charadrius obscurus ) recovery plan, 2004–14 , Science & Technical Publishing, Department of Conservation, Wellington PDF Online (215.9 kB)
- PJ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds , Volume 2, Raptors to Lapwings, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1993, ISBN 0-19-553069-1 .
Web links
- Charadrius obscurus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed January 31 of 2009.
- Maori plover at nzbirds