CR

Southern Red-breasted Plover

Charadrius obscurus

Declining

Overview

The New Zealand dotterel 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.

The Red-breasted Dotterel faces severe population decline primarily due to introduced mammalian predators, particularly stoats, cats, and rats, which prey on eggs, chicks, and adults. Habitat degradation from livestock grazing, recreational activities, and coastal development has reduced the quality of breeding sites. Climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns affecting invertebrate prey availability and increased storm frequency damaging nesting areas.

Threat summary

Habitat

The Red-breasted Dotterel inhabits high-altitude tussock grasslands, alpine herb fields, and rocky areas above 900 meters elevation in New Zealand's South Island. During winter, birds move to coastal areas including estuaries, mudflats, and sandy beaches.

Marine intertidal· majorWetlands (inland) - Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens· major

Conservation measures underway

Species managementSpecies recovery

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Southern Red-breasted Plover classified as Critically Endangered?
Southern Red-breasted Plover is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Red-breasted Dotterel faces severe population decline primarily due to introduced mammalian predators, particularly stoats, cats, and rats, which prey on eggs, chicks, and adults. Habitat degradation from livestock grazing, recreational activities, and coastal development has reduced the quality of breeding sites. Climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns affecting invertebrate prey availability and increased storm frequency damaging nesting areas.
Where does Southern Red-breasted Plover live?
Southern Red-breasted Plover occurs in New Zealand, and Nigeria. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Southern Red-breasted Plover?
The main threats to Southern Red-breasted Plover are 8.1, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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