- Hooded Dotterel
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Hooded Dotterel 
Protected breeding sites are located on Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Charadriiformes Family: Charadriidae Genus: Thinornis Species: T. rubricollis Binomial name Thinornis rubricollis
(Gmelin, 1789)Synonyms Charadrius rubricollis Gmelin, 1789
The Hooded Dotterel or Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis) is a species of bird in the Charadriidae family. It is endemic to southern Australia and Tasmania. There are two recognized subspecies, both of which are classifed as Endangered.
Contents
Taxonomy
The German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin described the Hooded Dotterel in 1789. Its specific name is derived from the Latin words ruber "red", and collis "neck".
The Hooded Dotterel was placed in genus Charadrius but in the early 2000s it was reclassified into the genus Thinornis, along with Shore Plover (Thinornis novaeseelandiae).[1][2] In 2000 the number of mature individuals was estimated at a mere 7,000.[1] Alternate common names include: Hooded Plover, Hoody, Pluvier à camail (in French), Kappenregenpfeifer (in German), and Chorlito Encapuchado (in Spanish).[2]
Subspecies
Two subspecies of the Hooded Dotterel are now recognized.[1]
- T. r. rubricollis (J. F. Gmelin, 1789) southern Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania and nearby islands. The population stands at 3000 and is declining.[1][3][4]
- T. r. tregellasi (Mathews, 1912)[5] Western Australia, coasts and inland lakes, Cranbrook, Yalgorup National Park and points south.[6][7] The population stands at 4000 and appears to be stable.[1][3][4][5]
Description
A Breeding Pair
The Hooded Dotterel is medium in size for a plover, stocky, and pale in color. Its length is 190–230 mm (7.5–9.1 in) and its wing-span 230–440 mm (9.1–17 in). It has a black hood and throat with a white collar. Its red bill has a black tip. It has a red eye ring and orange legs.[8] Underparts are white. Males and females are similar. Adults and juveniles are similar except the juveniles do not have the black head and hindneck, which are instead a sandy brown.[9]
Distribution and habitat
Its natural habitats are freshwater lakes, freshwater marshes, coastal saline lagoons, and sandy beaches. Heavy populations are found on beaches with seaweed and dunes. It is threatened by habitat loss because of its small population and native range. It lives in western Australia, southern Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania and nearby islands. It is a vagrant in Queensland. Fox predation is a major threat to the western subspecies.[3] It is non-migratory.[9]
Behaviour
EggsA clutch of 1-3 eggs is laid from August to March, which is also the peak of the summer tourist season in its range and it is thereby heavily impacted by human activities.[1][10] The eggs are a matte beige or cream colour heavily sprinkled with dark brown and lavender markings, especially at the larger end of the egg. Pyriform in shape, they measure 37 x 27 mm.[11] Eggs hatch in about 30 days. The Silver Gull (Larus novaehollandiae) and Raven (Corvus spp).[1][10] The eastern population eats a variety of invertebrates but little is known of the diet of the western population.[1][10] Specifically it eats insects, bivalves, and sandhoppers. It is usually seen in pairs or small groups near the water. For breeding it will dig a shallow scrape in sand or gravel above high water mark and line it with pebbles, seaweed, and other debris.[9]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis". BirdLife International. http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3144. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Hooded Plover (Charadrius rubricollis)". Internet Bird Collection. http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/hooded-plover-charadrius-rubricollis. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ a b c "Taxon Summary - Hooded Plover (western)" (PDF). Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/action/birds2000/pubs/hooded-pl-w.pdf. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Thinornis rubricollis rubricollis — Hooded Plover". Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=59510. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Thinornis rubricollis rubricollis — Hooded Plover (eastern)". Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=66726. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ Elson, Stephen J.; Marcus J. C. Singor (April 2008). "Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis tregellasi breeding data from Western Australia" (PDF). Journal for the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (Stilt) 53: 6–12. http://www.awsg.org.au/stilt/Stilt-53abstract.pdf.
- ^ Singor, Marcus (April 2008). "Inland Movements of the Hooded Plover Thinornis Rubricollis Tregellasi in Western Australia" (PDF). Stilt (Stilt) 55: 25–26. http://www.worldwaders.org/dokok/literature/53/movementhoodedplover_stilt55.pdf.
- ^ "Hooded Dotterel". Biodiversity Information Explorer. http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:8f1f6ed7-694a-4c50-bfae-fe8e78568e66. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ a b c "Hooded Plover". Birds in Backyards. http://birdsinbackyards.net/species/Thinornis-rubricollis. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ a b c "Thinornis rubricollis". IUCN Red List. IUCN. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/144122/0. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
- ^ Beruldsen, Gordon (2003). Australian Birds: Their Nests and Eggs. Kenmore Hills, Qld: self. p. 221. ISBN 0-646-42798-9.
External links
Categories:- IUCN Red List near threatened species
- Thinornis
- Birds of South Australia
- Birds of Tasmania
- Animals described in 1789
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