Scientific Name: Charadrius ruficapillus
Size: 14 to 16.5 cm
What does it look and sound like?
This is a small shorebird. Brown above, reddish on the crown and nape, and with a white face and underparts, the Red-capped Plover cannot be confused with any other shorebird regularly found in Australia. The vagrant Kentish Plover C. alexandrinus has a white collar around the nape. The call is a faintly trilled ‘tik’ or ‘twink’.
Where is it found?
It is a common sight throughout coastal and inland Australia and is widely distributed throughout the country and islands.
What are its habitats & habits?
It feeds mainly on insects, which are caught on the drier shores of lakes, estuaries, marshes and beaches; it seldom wades for food. While feeding, a Red-capped Plover runs rapidly along the ground, stopping suddenly to snatch prey from the surface.
This species features in my book Australia’s Birdwatching Megaspots