254 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
3. Red-capped Dotterel Charadrius ruficapillus Temminck 
Char-ad' -ri-us — Gk, charadrios, valley bird : rU-fi-cap-ill'-us — L., rufus, 
red ; L., capillus , hair of the head. 
Distribution. — Australia generally, and Tasmania; also occurs in 
southern New Guinea; accidental to New Zealand. 
Notes. — Also called Red-necked Plover and Sand-lark. Usually in 
pairs or Hocks, frequenting the shores of inlets or the margins of lakes 
and rivers. It is generally seen running with quick little strides along the 
edge of the water, and if disturbed Hies a few paces away, alights, and 
repeats these movements. Food : chiefly insects and small crustaceans. 
Nest. — A depression in the sand, usually lined with broken pieces of 
shell or tiny pebbles. Favourite sites are the crowns of slight ridges, not 
far from water; this species has been known to nest two miles from the 
nearest water. 
Eggs. — Usually two, pale greenish, covered all over with dots and 
lines of dark brown to purplish-black markings and a few underlying spots 
of lavender. Breeding-season: August to December or January. 
4. Black-fronted Dotterel Charadrius melanops Vieillot 
mel'-an-ops — Gk, melas ( melanos ), black; Gk, ops f face. 
Distribution. — Australia generally, and Tasmania. 
Notes. — Also called Sandpiper. Usually in pairs or family parties, 
frequenting chiefly shingly and muddy banks of rivers, lakes, or water- 
holes, also the shores of inlets. It is generally observed near the water’s 
edge, along which it runs with great rapidity. When flushed, it rises 
quickly, and frequently utters a plaintive note like “Chick chick.” Food: 
aquatic insects, worms, and small crustaceans. 
Nest . — A depression in the ground, favourite sites being shingly flats 
of rivers, rarely far from the water. 
Eggs. — Usually three, stone, or greyish-yellow, covered with various 
shaped markings of brown and lavender. Breeding-season: September 
to December (southern) ; April to September (northern). 
5. Large Sand-dotterel Charadrius leschenaulti Lesson 
leschenaulti — J. B. Leschenault de la Tour (1773-1826), French collector 
and botanist. 
Distribution. — Tibet and eastern Siberia, migrating southwards to 
Africa and Australia; accidental to Europe. 
Notes. — Usually in flocks, frequenting tidal salt creeks and the sea- 
shore. It is common in north-western Australia during the summer 
months, where it is generally observed on mud-banks and sandy or shingly 
beaches. Little has been recorded of its habits and economy. An adult 
in breeding plumage is coloured cinnamon-rufous on the crown of the 
head, the hind-neck, and on a narrow collar round the fore-neck. 
Nest. — A depression in the sand and fine shingle on the borders of a 
lake (Mathews and Iredale). 
