Red-capped Plover

Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus) standing on sandy seaweed mound on beach. [Photographed by Peter Rowland]
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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. 

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Front cover of Australia's Birdwatching Megaspots book showing a picture of an Eastern Spinebill

This species features in my book Australia’s Birdwatching Megaspots

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