Banded dotterel | Pohowera

Banded Dotterel | Pohowera

The Banded Dotterel (Charadrius bicinctus), known as Pohowera in Māori, is a small, compact plover found on New Zealand’s seashores, estuaries, and riverbeds. They are recognized by their brown upperparts and distinctive chestnut breast band, which is more prominent during the breeding season.

Banded Dotterels breed throughout much of the North and South Islands, as well as on Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, and the Auckland Islands. They undertake post-breeding migrations to estuaries and coastal wetlands across New Zealand, and some even travel to Tasmania and southeast mainland Australia.

These birds are known for their characteristic run-stop-peck-run foraging behavior as they search for small invertebrates. Their flight calls are an unobtrusive chip call, and territorial birds are much more vocal, giving a “chee-aree-aree” call.

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