The Red-capped Plover is the most common and widespread of Australia’s beach-nesting shorebirds. They occur along virtually the entire Australian coastline, but they also occur in great numbers inland, especially around saltlakes. They usually inhabit wide, bare sandflats or mudflats at the margins of saline, brackish or freshwater wetlands where they forage by using their characteristic ‘stop-run-peck’ method, taking small invertebrates from the surface. Their speckled eggs are laid in a shallow depression in the ground, often beneath a low shrub, or out in the open if near water.
The adult male Red-capped Plover has a bright reddish chestnut crown (centre of crown can be grey brown) and nape, and grey brown mantle. There is a black incomplete band running down from the chestnut nape to the sides of the breast and a black line from the bill through and past the eye. The legs and short fine bill are black. In flight there is a clear white wing bar and white outer tail. The female is duller in colour, missing the dark breast patches. Young birds are similar but paler than the adults.
Varied abrupt ‘tik’, often repeated. Bird call recorded by: Marc Anderson
The Red-capped Plover is widespread throughout Australia.
Habitat: Wetland, Coastal, Salt Lake
The Red-capped Plover is found on beaches and in wetlands, especially in arid areas, and prefers saline and brackish waters.
If the nest is threatened the Red-capped Plovers will try several distraction methods, including feigning injury by dragging a wing to lead predators away.
The Red-capped Plover may be seen foraging for molluscs, small crustaceans and some vegetation, on mudflats, sandy beaches and salt-marsh.
The nest site of the Red-capped Plover is a shallow scrape on a beach or stony area, nearly always close to water. Sometimes the nest is protected by a small plant or some rubbish. The eggs are usually well camouflaged.
