The Spur-winged plover is a fairly common sight around the beach, the Strathnaver lakes, Waimarie and Te Puna a te Ora, and in paddocks:
Length: 38 cm; Weight: 350 - 370 g
A large stocky wader with yellow bill, facial wattles, eye rings and 'spurs' at the carpal joints of each wing, black on the crown and hind neck extending to the breast, and long reddish-brown legs. 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, and the black tail has a white base and thin white tip.
A bird of open country, it is an obtrusive, noisy addition to habitats ranging from riverbeds and sea and lakeshores to agricultural pasture and urban parklands.
