Black-breasted plover

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Black-breasted plover
Black-breasted plover (Erythrogonys cinctus)

Black-breasted plover ( Erythrogonys cinctus )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Plover-like (Charadriiformes)
Family : Plover (Charadriidae)
Subfamily : Lapwing (Vanellinae)
Genre : Erythrogonys
Type : Black-breasted plover
Scientific name of the  genus
Erythrogonys
Gould , 1838
Scientific name of the  species
Erythrogonys cinctus
Gould , 1838
Black-breasted plover in search of food

The black- breasted plover ( Erythrogonys cinctus ) or black-breasted plover is a species of bird from the plover family (Charadriidae) within the order of the plover-like . It is the only species of the genus Erythrogonys monotypical and occurs from Tasmania via Australia to New Guinea.

features

The black-breasted plover reaches a body length of 17 to 19.5 centimeters and a weight of 40 to 55 grams. The wingspan is 33 to 38 centimeters. It has a moderately long, forwardly tapering bill and long legs. Due to its eye-catching coloration and pattern, it cannot be confused with any other species.

In the adult dress, he has a black cap that extends back to the neck. A very wide black chest band starts at the neck and encloses the white front neck and throat. On the flanks, the chest band continues in the form of a stripe a little way back and turns into a red-brown stripe. There is a narrow white longitudinal band between the wrist and the chest band and the flanks. The mantle and upper sides of the wings are dark olive brown. The under tail coverts are striped dark brown, reddish brown and white. In flight, the chest band and the flank strip are immediately noticeable. The tips of the arm wings and the inner hand wings are white, so they form a light-colored trailing edge. The hand covers on the underside look black. The white, short tail has an extensive black spot in the middle.

The iris is black; the beak is pink or reddish in color and has a black tip that tapers gray at the lower edge of the upper jaw. The legs are two-colored: the feet are gray and the lower leg and the intertarsal joint are pink. This is where the English name Red-kneed Dotterel comes from . The feet clearly protrude beyond the tail in flight.

In the youth dress, the black areas in the plumage are light gray-brown. The coat and wings are also lighter, here the feathers have white edges, the plumage looks scaly. Only a pale gray color can be seen of the chest band and the flank stripes.

There is no gender dimorphism .

Way of life

The black-breasted plover occurs singly, in pairs, in family groups or in small to large schools. Its diet consists of seeds, mollusks , annelids , spiders and insects.

The same area is used several times as a breeding ground, but there can also be relocation from year to year. It breeds singly, but more often in small colonies of up to 30 pairs. The breeding season is between August and April; mostly in the Australian spring and summer, the rest of the time it depends on the rain. Nothing is known about the pair bond (e.g. monogamous, polygamous). The nest is a flat hollow in the ground, covered with grass and other parts of plants. To protect against nest predators, it is hidden under the surrounding vegetation, for example under tufts of grass. Two to five, usually four, eggs are laid. The breeding period and the age at which the young birds reach the ability to fly are also not documented. Both adult birds take part in the brood and young rearing. The chicks are not fed by their parents, but look for food independently. If a predator enters the breeding area, it is distracted from the nest by the adult birds. Many other waders also display this distraction behavior .

The alarm call can be described as wit-wit or chet-chet . It is also uttered during the flight and in flight. In the event of danger and during the distraction of predators that have entered the breeding area, the bird calls out prr prip-prip .

Habitat and Distribution

The habitat of the black-breasted ringed plover are permanent or temporary, shallow fresh waters inland or near the coast. It is rare in brackish or salt water. It occurs in Australia , southern New Guinea , Tasmania , Kangaroo Island and the Torres Strait Islands . It is widespread wherever it finds suitable habitats. Areas far from the coast are also being settled.

Danger

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) lists the black-breasted plover in the LC category (not endangered).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Kerrylee Rogers, Tim Ralph: Floodplain Wetland Biota in the Murray-Darling Basin. CSIRO Publishing, 2011, ISBN 978-0643096288 , pp. 186-187.

literature

  • Geering, Agnew, Harding: Shorebirds of Australia . CSIRO Publishing, 2007, ISBN 0643092269

Web links

Commons : Black-breasted Ringed Plover  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files