Scientific Name: Thinornis cucullatus
Size: 19 to 23 cm
What does it look like?
The adult Hooded Plover is unmistakable, with its black head, orange eyering and two-toned orange and black bill. The upperparts are brown and the underparts are white, with a black streak across the hindneck and down on to the chest. Young birds can be distinguished from other similar shorebirds by their orange eyering and the typical head-bobbing behaviour that plovers exhibit.
Where is it found?
The range of the Hooded Plover extends from Jervis Bay, NSW, south and west to Tasmanis and the Eyre Peninsula SA and also from Esperance and Perth in south-western WA.
What are its habitats & habits?
This small shorebird inhabits sandy beaches, where it feeds on small insects, molluscs and crustaceans.
This species features in my book Australia’s Birdwatching Megaspots