NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 19, 22 July 1939, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

THE SAND PLOVER

A LITTLE-KNOWN BIRD

(By R. H. D. Stidolph.)

At one time a rather attractive little bird known as the sand plover was met with around the coast of New Zealand, but it must be many years since it has been recorded from the mainland and nowadays the average »person has never heard of it. Exactly why this bird should have vanished is difficult to explain, as other species of somewhat similar habits, such as the banded dotterel, have been able to maintain their numbers in spite of the changes that followed settlement of this country. It is. rather significant that the museums of New Zealand appear to be exceptionally well supplied with skins of the sand plover and it is possible that collectors, intent on nothing else but to secure a specimen at any cost, may have contributed in some measure to the increasing rarity of this bird. In any case, it is now extinct on the New Zealand mainland and its sole surviving home is a fairly remote island of about six hundred acres, on which, however, sheep are pastured. Probably not more than a dozen or two people in New Zealand have ever made the acquaintance of this birc* in its island tiome, nor is it likely that this plover will become better known, unless there is an amazing extension of its present distribution. ■

STRIKING PLUMAGE.

The sana plover is slightly smaller than.the familiar song thrusn, and, as the name suggests, inhabits sandy beaches and mud flats, besides rocky coasts, though it would be more correct to say that at the present time it is unknown in the two former localities and is how only known to live on its rocky island home. Its plumage is quite strikin o for a shore bird and on that account ..here should be no mistaking the bird once it is seen. The greater part of the head is black, while the grey crown is separated by a clearly-defined white line, while another clear-cut line sets off the white -breast and underparts from the black throat. The wings and tail are grey- - isb>brown. ■ - The orange bill has a. ' black .tip, and the legs and feet are 'also^orange in colour. Altogether, Jt| is , a handsome bird and its conspicuous markings would bring it under notice if it still happened to be am . inhabitant of the mainland. Accord-: • ing to a report on the bird life of '- PortNicholson in 1840, the sand plover j was at that time to be seen on the "beach on Lanibton Quay. It was said iq be a.common bird on many parts %£ihe coast and was reported from both; '"North and South Islands, besides Great j :: Barrier Island "and the Chatham Group, in the. earlier days of New Zealand's -nfiistdry. ; . ;

.Mtfsw Former distribution. 77"Byen. in the. late Sir Walter Butler's -mdniimehtaj work on New Zealand birds, very little is recorded of the habits of the sand plover, although the bird itself .is the subject of a good coloured plate in -company with the unique wry-billed plover, the only bird in the world with its bill turned to one side. Alter referring to the fact that the original specimen of this bird was obtained in Queen Charlotte Sound in 1773 and that in 1844 a pair were seen on the ocean beach near Port Chalmers, he stated that later investigations showed it to be com--1 parativeiy plentiful at the mouth of the Piako. River, in the Hauraki Gulf, on the broad flats of Manukau Harbour, and oh' the sand spits off Tauranga. Queen Charlotte Sound and the various islets on the eastern and southeastern coasts were said to be its favourite haunts in the South Island. Sir Walter Buller stated that it hunted for its food among;the sand and dry ooze in a very diligent manner and associated freely with the flocks of godwit, both oh their common feeding ground and .when the latter crowd upon the high banks. The movements of the "sand plover he described as very grace- - ful and he considered it the most beautiful of the plovers. It had, he stated, the same peculiar alarm cry of "clickclick" as that made by tin banded dotterel. This call was also tittered on the wing, being repeated several times in rapid succession.

RECENT INVESTIGATIONS

A'valuable contribution to the life history of:, this little-known bird has been made -recently by Mr. C. A.Fleming of Auckland, who recently had the opportunity of studying the sand plover, or, as he prefers to call it, the shore plover, in its last known haunts. He has published his conclusions in the "Emu," the official organ of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. His article is illustrated by a series of excellent photographs, showing the sites. of nests, the bird itself, and views of its habitat. One pleasing and very gratifying conclusion reached by Mr. Fleming is that this bird appears to be in a healthy state, in its island home. He points out that hundreds of birds were collected for museum specimens between .1890 and 1910 from this island, and it says much for its recuperative powers that it was able to withstand such an onslaught. In Mr Fleming's view a far more imminent danger to this bird than collectors is the dread possibility of the introduction to the island of a pest inimical to its welfare. It is somewhat reassuring to know that the present lessee is taking every precaution to see that no . vermin reaches the island, which belongs to Natives.

UNUSUAL NESTING SITES

Mr. Fleming found the sand plover "feeding in-the salt and brackish shallow pools, running to and fro with swift, dotterel-like gait, ocasionally stopping to jerk back the head in the manner so characteristic of dotterels, and frequently uttering a high-pitched •peep."' Mr. Fleming had the good fortune, while investigating this bird's habits, to find seventeen nests. With one exception, all were sheltered in some way from above and entered from the sides. The commonest nesting site was a crevice under a pile of boulders near the shore or a cranny under larger rock masses resting on grassy ground. Several nests were found eighteen inches down the deserted burrows of the mutton-bird, while others were located in a hollow log, in the midst of a thick growth of bidibidi. or under the buttress roots of a shrub. Contrary to the usual practice among shore birds, the nest is a fairly bulky structure. Two or three eggs form a clutch. In colour they are described as pale buff or brownish-buff, with streaky black or dark brown markings. No great difficulty was experienced in photographing this plover, which showed little or no fear of human beings. Long may it continue to thrive in its remote home.