New Zealand dotterel (Charadrius obscurus)
Other names: New Zealand plover, red-breasted dotterel, tuturiwhatu, pukunui, paturiwhata
An adult northern New Zealand dotterel in breeding plumage, photographed on one of the many beaches of the Coromandel Peninsular that also attract large numbers of people during the summer.
An endangered New Zealand endemic. The northern subspecies (C. o. aquilonius) of this relatively large (average 160 g) plover is a bird of sandy beaches, rivermouths and estuaries of the northern half of North Island. The southern subspecies (C. o. obscurus) breeds on exposed mountain tops on Stewart Island. The southern birds are found on the coast of Stewart Island when not breeding and some birds also move to parts of South Island.
Although once common and widespread, New Zealand dotterels—like most NZ birds—have suffered from habitat loss and the introduction of mammalian pests, especially cats, stoats, hedgehogs and rats. During the summer breeding season people also flock to the same beaches dotterels breed on, and dogs, vehicles and foot traffic can be serious threats. The Department of Conservation and community groups now carry out predator control around nesting areas, and nests are also roped off and signs installed to reduce human disturbance. This work has allowed numbers to increase in many places, with a total population estimated at 1500 birds. The rarer C. o. obscurus may have been reduced to as low as 15 breeding pairs before cat control was initiated.
In non-breeding plumage New Zealand dotterels appear rather drab, like this inquisitive bird photographed on shell strewn inter-tidal mud at Miranda on the Firth of Thames.
Despite being uncommon, New Zealand dotterels are relatively easy to find at beaches they are known to frequent, although when stationary they can be very well camouflaged. They are relatively tame, and a low and slow approach can get them within range of a photographer with a moderately long lens without difficulty. Keeping low also provides a pleasing eye-level angle and helps produce soft, out of focus backgrounds. As always, careful observation is required in order to capture attractive poses and behaviour, but most importantly to ensure the bird shows no sign of being distressed. On several occasions I have had dotterels approach very close to me, apparently unconcerned by my presence, only to have them take flight the instant a dog appeared on the beach a hundred metres or more away! If you see someone lying on a beach with a camera, please don't run up to ask "are you taking a picture of something?", and please leave the dog behind.
These and many more New Zeland dotterel photos can found in my gallery, along with many other species of Waders, Gulls and Terns available for purchace and licencing.
References and further reading
The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand, by Barrie Heather and Hugh Robertson. Published 1996 by Viking.
Birds of New Zealand Locality Guide, by Stuart Chambers. Published 1989 by Arun Books.