Red-breasted Plover
Anarhynchus obscurus
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 3,051
- Most observed in
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Description
The New Zealand dotterel (Anarhynchus obscurus, synonym: Charadrius obscurus) is a species of shorebird found only in certain areas of New Zealand. It is also called the New Zealand plover or red-breasted plover, and its Māori names include tūturiwhatu, pukunui, and kūkuruatu. There are two subspecies. The southern subspecies is critically endangered and was nearing extinction with about 70 individuals remaining in 1992. Conservation measures increased this nearly 300 by 2010, but a further decline has occurred to an estimated 101 individuals in 2024.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “New Zealand dotterel”.