Hooded Plover

1. Black hood and throat with a white nape collar

2. Red bill with black tip and deep red eye-ring

3. Orange-pink legs and compact, short-legged build

Hooded Plovers feed on small invertebrates such as insects, sandhoppers, molluscs, and worms, searching along the tideline and among seaweed piles. They nest in shallow scrapes in the sand above the high-water mark, often lining the nest with pebbles, seaweed and fragments of shell or stone. Breeding occurs from August to March. Females lay 2-3 eggs per Clutch. Both parents share incubation duties, with males often taking the night shift. The species is non-migratory, showing strong site fidelity year after year.

Hooded Plovers are found on wide, sandy beaches along southern Australia, from Jervis Bay in New South Wales through Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, as well as in southwestern Western Australia where they also use inland saline lakes. They are most often seen in pairs during the breeding season, foraging near the water’s edge or among seaweed, but may gather in small groups outside the breeding season. Despite their bold features, they can be difficult to spot as they often freeze and blend into the beach background when disturbed`.`