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Double-banded Plover
(Charadrius bicinctus)
: "Double-banded Dotterel", "Banded Dotterel"
Size: 18-21 cm
Weight: 55-75 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Double-banded Plovers are small, mostly coastal waders. Their
plumage changes
between breeding
season and
non-breeding season.
During the
breeding season
the back (cap, sides of head, mantle, upperwings and uppertail)
is dark brownish-grey, while the front (forehead, throat, chest,
belly and vent) is white, dissected by a black throat band and
a second, wider brown chest band. The bill is dark-grey, the
legs and feet are yellow.
In eclipse
the back remains roughly the same,
while the two bands across the front disappear and are replaced
by faint brown partial bars where the brown chest band is usually
located.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Due to its relatively short migration to New Zealand, compared to
other small species of plovers,
the Double-banded Plover is the one that can most easily be seen in
Australia in its
breeding plumage.
The correct identification of waders ("shorebirds"), e.g. of the
Calidris, Tringa, Actitis and
related families or of the Charadrius, Pluvialis and related genera
in the field can be quite tricky. We have therefore made an attempt to
give some advice HERE.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See
Double-banded Plover at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Double-banded Plover is available
HERE
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Double-banded Plovers breed only in New Zealand.
In Australia, Double-banded Plovers, nominate race "bicinctus",
are non-breeding migrants.
They spend the winter mostly along the Australian East coast and
offshore islands,
ranging from about Cape Melville, QLD, in the North, to Tasmania
(except its far south-western part) in the South. Along the South
coast of the Australian continent Double-banded Plovers can be found
as far as Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island; there are only very
infrequent sightings along the South coast of WA. Inland they are found
regularly only in an area from about Melbourne, VIC, towards the
North-West, to the north-western border of VIC with NSW, on
the Murray River. In wet years they can also be found along
inland waters elsewhere.
Double-banded Plovers are mostly found foraging along saltwater
and brackish water, on beaches and in
mudflats, but
they can also be found around fresh water, even on
grassland
and bare ground.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Two Double-banded Plovers, race "bicinctus", in non-breeding
plumage were first
spotted by us at Goran Lake, an
ephemeral lake
about 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW, in March 2012, when we observed
them foraging along the water's edge.
In May 2012 a flock of about 50 birds, mostly in non-breeding
plumage, was seen by us
at the same location. A flock of about 50 birds was still present at
Goran Lake in June 2012, when the first birds
were observed moulting into their breeding plumage.
Double-banded Plovers, race "bicinctus", were seen by
us at Goran Lake on subsequent visits,
usually in mixed flocks with Red-capped Plovers.
B. Hensen reports spotting Double-banded Plovers, race "bicinctus", at the
boat harbour at Kurnell, NSW, in August 2017.
M. Eaton reports finding Double-banded Plovers, race "bicinctus", at
Broadwater, Gold Coast, QLD, in March 2019.
M. Windeyer reports finding Double-banded Plovers, race "bicinctus", in an
ephemeral wetland
near Gilgandra, NSW, in June 2020.
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Photos |
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Race "bicinctus"
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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MALE |
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Pair of Double-banded Plovers in breeding
plumage -
male on the right, female on the left
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Boat Harbour, Kurnell, NSW, August 2017]
Near-lateral view of a male Double-banded Plover in breeding
plumage
[Goran Lake, NSW, June 2012]
Group of Double-banded Plovers, with three males in full
breeding plumage
[Goran Lake, NSW, June 2012]
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FEMALE |
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Pair of Double-banded Plovers in breeding
plumage -
male on the right, female on the left
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Boat Harbour, Kurnell, NSW, August 2017]
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NON-BREEDING |
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Near-frontal view of a Double-banded Plover in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Broadwater, Gold Coast, QLD, March 2019]
Near-frontal view of a Double-banded Plover in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Broadwater, Gold Coast, QLD, March 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Double-banded Plover in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Broadwater, Gold Coast, QLD, March 2019]
Lateral view of a Double-banded Plover in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Broadwater, Gold Coast, QLD, March 2019]
Lateral view of a
small group of Double-banded Plovers in various stages of moulting
into their breeding plumage -
full breeding plumage, front,
transitional plumage, left and
back, non-breeding plumage,
right
[Goran Lake, NSW, June 2012]
Near-dorsal view of a Double-banded Plover in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Broadwater, Gold Coast, QLD, March 2019]
Dorsal view of a Double-banded Plover in non-breeding
plumage
[Goran Lake, NSW, March 2012]
Double-banded Plovers in non-breeding plumage banking to land
[Old Bar, NSW, July 2013]
Double-banded Plovers in non-breeding plumage banking to land
[Old Bar, NSW, July 2013]
Flock of Double-banded Plovers, with a few Red-capped Plovers mixed in
[Goran Lake, NSW, May 2012]
Flock of Double-banded Plovers, with a few Red-capped Plovers mixed in
[Goran Lake, NSW, May 2012]
Flock of Double-banded Plovers touching down
[Goran Lake, NSW, June 2012]
Double-banded Plovers taking a bath
[Goran Lake, NSW, June 2012]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.