Red-kneed Dotterel
The Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus) is a species of bird found in Southern New Guinea and mainland Australia. It is a common vagrant to Tasmania and New Zealand. Its habitat is shallow ephemeral and permanent freshwater wetlands, occasionally saline wetlands, and rarely tidal wetlands.
This is a long-legged medium-sized plover. It is 6.75 to 7.75 inches long with a wingspan of 13 to 15 inches long. Adults weigh between 1.5 and 2 ounces. Adults have a black cap from the bill, extending below the eyes, merging at the nape to gray-brown at the back. The chin and throat are white. A broad black band on the breast joins the nape and also extends to the flank as a chestnut stripe. The belly and vent are white. Back and mantle are gray-brown. The upper wing is mainly black with a white trailing edge. The upper leg and knee joint is red. The bill is red with a dark tip.
The Red-kneed Dotterel is gregarious and will associate with other wading birds of its own and different species. It is nomadic and tends to wander. The nest is on the ground in wetland areas. It will sometimes make use of other bird’s nests. The female lays four cream colored eggs that are covered in lines, speckles or blotches. The young are precocial (able to move about freely after birth) and soon leave the nest. Its diet consists of arthropods, mollusks, annelids and seeds.
