CR

Charadrius obscurus

Declining

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

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

Other threatened species in CHARADRIIDAE

EN

Siberian Sandplover

Charadrius mongolus

Declining
VU

Wrybill

Anarhynchus frontalis

Declining
Thinornis novaeseelandiaeEN

Thinornis novaeseelandiae

Increasing
Charadrius sanctaehelenaeVU

Charadrius sanctaehelenae

Increasing

Threatened in New Zealand

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
EN

Xerocomus griseo-olivaceus

Declining
EN

Oligosoma stenotis

Declining
Oligosoma lineoocellatumEN

Oligosoma lineoocellatum

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Charadrius obscurus classified as Critically Endangered?
Charadrius obscurus 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 Charadrius obscurus live?
Charadrius obscurus 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 Charadrius obscurus?
The main threats to Charadrius obscurus 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.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.