The hooded plover or hooded dotterel is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae. It is endemic to southern Australia, where it inhabits ocean beaches and subcoastal lagoons.
Region
Southern Australia
Typical Environment
Found along ocean beaches, dune-backed shores, and the margins of coastal and subcoastal saline lagoons across southern Australia and Tasmania. Prefers wide, gently sloping sandy beaches with a defined swash zone and accumulations of seaweed wrack. Breeds above the high-tide line and at dune bases where sparse vegetation provides some cover. Also uses saline lakes and coastal wetlands, especially where human disturbance is lower.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 200 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The hooded plover nests directly on open sand, making eggs and chicks highly vulnerable to trampling, off-leash dogs, and beach vehicles. Conservation programs often fence nests and post signs to reduce disturbance during the breeding season. Chicks are precocial and feed themselves from hatching, relying on camouflage and parental distraction displays for protection.
A breeding pair
Eggs
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct coastal flights
Social Behavior
Typically seen as pairs on territories during the breeding season, defending open sand nesting sites. Nests are shallow scrapes lined with shell grit or small pebbles; both parents incubate and tend the young. Outside breeding, small loose flocks may form on suitable beaches and lagoons.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives high-pitched, piping whistles and sharp peeps, especially when alarmed or during territorial displays. Calls are clear and carry over surf noise, often delivered in quick sequences.
Plumage
Compact plover with a striking black hood and throat, clean white underparts, and a pale grey-brown back. The nape shows a contrasting white band separating the hood from the mantle.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small invertebrates including sandhoppers, amphipods, isopods, marine worms, insect larvae, and small bivalves. Gleans from the wrack line and probes in wet sand at the swash zone. Foraging is opportunistic, tracking where waves deposit prey and seaweed. Chicks feed themselves from their first day, picking tiny prey items at the water’s edge.
Preferred Environment
Most often forages along the swash zone of exposed sandy beaches and among seaweed wrack. Also feeds on the shores of saline lakes and quiet coastal lagoons where disturbance is lower.
