Spur-winged Plover

Scientific Name Vanellus miles

Native Yes

Family Charadriidae

Common Weight 350-370 Grams

Common Height 32 CM

Common Length 30 CM

Identification

The Spur-winged plover is a large stocky wader with a yellow bill and spurs on each wing, locations found on Waiheke are Blackpool, Maori hill and Whakanewha.

The spur-winged plover is a large stocky wader with pronounced yellow bill and wattles, and yellow eye ring. Black on the crown and hind neck becomes a black collar extending to sides of the breast. The rest of the head, neck and under parts are white, the mantle, back and coverts are uniform light grey-brown contrasting with a white rump. The black tail has a white base and thin white tip. The long legs are reddish brown. A long yellow spur protruding from the carpal area of each wing gives the species its name. The flight pattern of the spur-winged plover – shallow beats of broad rounded wings – is unlike any other New Zealand wader.

Their call is a shrill staccato rattle – often heard at night.

They may be found in almost any area with low vegetation, often near water: from the margins of marine and terrestrial wetlands, riverbeds and lake shores to estuaries and beaches, to farm pastures and almost any grassland in urban areas, playing fields, parks or even road verges.

Waiheke Wildlife

Pūkeko

The Pukeko is a large relatively compact rail with a deep blue-violet head, breast and throat and a red bill. Found in swamp/Mangrove areas of Waiheke Island.

Grey Warbler

The Grey Warbler is a tiny olive-grey song bird often heard before seen. Locations on Waiheke are dense woody vegetations. The warbler can be difficult to spot.

Black Bird

The black bird is a medium-sized songbird that is entirely black in adult males with a yellow bill. Abundantly found on Waiheke around household properties and trees.

Little Shag

The little shag is a small shag, with a short yellow bill, black feet, a relatively long tail, usually spotted in the ocean searching for food or hanging around Waiheke…

Tui

The Tui is a iridescent blue-green honeyeater with two curled white feather tufts on the throat. Locations found on Waiheke are around flaxes feeding off nectar.

Variable Oyster Catcher

The variable oystercatcher is a stocky coastal bird with a long, bright orange bill, it is located on many quiet beaches such as Blackpool, Whakanewha and Anzac bay.

Spotted Turtle Dove

The spotted dove is a medium-sized, long-tailed dove, with a greyish head and speckled greyish brown upperparts. Found on Waiheke around gardens and the rooster reserve.

White Fronted Tern

The white-fronted tern is a medium-sized, long-tailed sea tern commonly around New Zealand coasts. Spotted congregating on Waiheke wharfs such as Matiatia and Orapiu.

Red Billed Gull

The red-billed gull also known as a "Seagull" is common around New Zealand Coasts. Located everywhere on Waiheke beaches where food or bait is readily accessible.

The Spur-winged plover is a large stocky wader with a yellow bill and spurs on each wing, locations found on Waiheke are Blackpool, Maori hill and Whakanewha.

Kaka

The Kaka is a large, olive-brown parrot with grey-white crown, red-orange underwing and deep crimson belly, located in tree covered areas around Palm beach and Onetangi.

Welcome Swallow

Welcome swallows are small fast-flying birds, they are usually seen around waiheke during breeding season between August and February on powerlines, fences and beaches.

White-Eye

A small songbird, immediately recognisable by its distinctive white eye-ring. This quick little bird can be found feeding off flax and kowhais or fruit trees on Waiheke.

Pied Shag

This large black-and-white shag is often seen individually or in a group, usually spotted in the ocean searching for food or hanging around fisherman by the rocks of Waiheke.

Wood Pigeon

The Wood pigeon is a large distinctively-coloured pigeon, it is easy to find on Waiheke due to its size, they are usually perched on powerlines or trees.

Great black-backed gull

The Black-backed gull is a large black-and-white gull with a white head and underparts, black back, yellow bill with a red spot near the tip. Located on Waiheke beaches.

Common Myna

Mynas are stocky brown birds with a shiny black head and shoulders. Commonly found on road sides on Waiheke, usually playing chicken with cars while foraging for food.

Bar-tailed Godwit

The Godwit is a migrant from Alaska, they fly 8-9 days straight to arrive in NZ. They can be found on Waiheke from September - March located at Blackpool.

White Faced Heron

The white-faced heron is a tall, elegant, blue-grey bird usually spotted stalking prey. Locations found on Waiheke are Mangroves, Anzac bay and quiet beaches.

Thrush

The thrush is a medium-sized songbird with a speckled brown-on-cream breast, usually heard before it is seen, found in grass reserves, gardens and trees on Waiheke.

Magpie

The Magpie is a large black-and-white songbird, It was introduced from Australia. It can be found on Waiheke around farmland and large grass reserves.

NZ Dotterel

The New Zealand Dotterel is a shorebird which breeds on beaches in NZ's North Island. Locations found on Waiheke are Whakanewha, Anzac Bay and Blackpool.

Fantail

The Fantail is a well known NZ bird due to its distinctive fanned tail. Locations found on Waiheke are any well-treed parks, bush walks and even properties.

Pied Stilt

The pied stilt is a dainty wading bird, It is common at wetlands and coastal areas, found on Waiheke at Putiki Bay, Anzac Bay and Blackpool.

Australasian Gannet

The gannet is a large slender-bodied seabird with mainly white plumage, buff-yellow head and neck. Occassionally seen around Waiheke searching for food in ocean depths.

Sacred Kingfisher

The sacred kingfisher is a distinctive bird with a green-blue back, buff to yellow undersides and a large black bill. they can be found nearby tidal beaches on waiheke.

Breeding

Spur-winged plovers breed as isolated pairs, and are monogamous with shared incubation and chick care.

They nest in a wide range of open habitats such as wetland edges and saltmarsh, but most commonly occur in areas associated with human activities, including pasture and cropland, urban parks and golf courses and even the roofs of buildings.

Most nests are a simple scrape that may be lined with various nearby materials –including dried grass or twigs, small pebbles and sheep droppings.

The 3-4 eggs are olive-yellow, -brown or -green with irregular dark brown or purple spots and blotches.

Laying is usually June to November.

Incubation takes 30-34 days, with precocial chicks leaving the nest almost immediately after hatching, fledging at 6-7 weeks and independent after 8-9 months.

Food

Molluscs, crustaceans, insects, and worms.

Waiheke Locations

Blackpool Beach – I have spotted them associating with other birds

Whakanewha – I’ve spotted them in the dotterels nesting zone with other birds

Maori hill – I have spotted them on the grass field of the reserve opposite the dirt track.

Spur-Winged Plover are flying birds so they can really be anywhere on Waiheke but not just Waiheke they are all over New Zealand, these are just areas I’ve spotted them and photographed.