Angry birds on the field - Bird ID and Egg report

We have looked on the internet and think we have found our angry birds.  We found a website that had information that helps identify birds. 

Spur-winged Plover

Vanellus V. miles

The Spur-winged Plover that is found here in New Zealand is a self-introduced bird that was originally a native to Australia only, where it is called the masked lapwing. In fact this name is actually more accurate because it is not a true plover. Further confusion occurs when discovering that the northern hemisphere spur-winged plover, which breeds in theMediterranean, is not related to this species either, and is also a lapwing rather than a true plover.

There are many different species of lapwing all around the world, but only 1 breeds inAustralasia of which there are 2 sub-species. The northern sub-species V. miles miles breed in northern Australia and now New Guinea. The smaller sub-species V. miles novaehollandiae, which was originally confined to south-eastern Australia, extended its range to includeTasmania and then New Zealand as a self-introduced species.

Although vagrants of this sub-species were seen much earlier on, it wasn’t until the 1930’s that a pair were recorded as breeding here, at Invercargill airport. Initially, they stayed within coastal Southland, but by the 1950’s they had spread to inland areas, then central Otago. By the late 1960’s they had spread to the rest of the South Island and Stewart Island, and in the 1970’s were first recorded as breeding in the North Island.

This species is now considered to be quite abundant in the South Island and in some areas of the North Island, where it continues to become more common. They are classified as a protected self-introduced native.

The Spur-winged Plover is a very adaptable species and because it favours the type of open land and cleared bush that is common around human settlement, numbers have increased and distribution has spread. Spur-winged plovers may compete with endemic New Zealand shorebirds for nesting space and food in some areas. They have also been recorded breaking eggs in New Zealand dotterel nests.

Its preferred habitat is pasture, wetland margins and estuaries, but they have readily adapted to human–made habitats such as sports grounds and airfields, and it is also seen on beaches and coastlines.

Most of the time two birds will be seen together, an identical male and a female who mate for life. At times groups of Spur-winged Plovers can be seen - especially during feeding on coastlines. 

The Spur-winged Plover is a medium-sized and rather conspicuous bird. It is 38 centimetres with males at 370 grams and females slightly lighter at 350 grams. They are olive–brown above and white below. The top of the head, hind-neck and tip of the tail are black. The shoulder in front of the folded wing and the wing trailing edge are also black, and there is a yellow spur on the leading edge. They have a yellow bill surrounded by a yellow facial patch and prominent yellow wattles around the base.  The legs and feet are reddish. 

Their main call is a loud, penetrating staccato rattle, ‘kerr-kick-ki-ki-ki’, often heard at night.  Their diet is mainly earthworms, insects and their larvae, crustaceans and molluscs, but they will also eat seeds and leaves. 

The breeding season is between June and late November with a peak in August.  The nesting pair are extremely territorial and will defend their area against all intruders by calling loudly, spreading their wings, or by swooping fast and low in flight. Where necessary they will strike at the offender with their feet or use the spur on the front of their wing to rake. Any potential threat by harrier hawk or magpie is dealt with by dive bombing and screaming, before attack.

When breeding they will choose a site that is open and flat with a rough or stony surface and a good outlook.

The nest is simply a scrape in the ground, often unlined or sometimes sparsely lined with suitable nearby material. The female will lay 1-4 khaki eggs with brownish, black blotches, which are then incubated by both parents for 30-31 days.  The chicks will leave the nest with their parents not long after hatching but the fledging period lasts for 7 – 8 weeks. The chicks reach full size after 4 to 5 months and are capable of breeding at the end of their first year. Most will simply mate for life at this time and breed in their second year.

Click on this link to go to the site:

http://www.birdingwestcoast.co.nz/birding/Birdingdetail/index.cfm/species/64/

We went to check the nest. This is what the nest looks like. 

The eggs have not hatched yet.