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Story: Wading birds

Male banded dotterel on nest

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Male banded dotterel on nest

This male banded dotterel is sitting on a shallow scrape in the ground. Males prepare several alternative scrapes, then one is chosen and lined with fragments of plants before the eggs are laid. In breeding plumage, banded dotterels have bold bands across the breast. These are broader on males, which also have a thin black band above the forehead.

Using this item

Department of Conservation

Reference: 10031686

by Peter Morrison

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How to cite this page

Gerard Hutching, Wading birds – Dotterels, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/9169/male-banded-dotterel-on-nest (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 2 March 2009.