Day-night foraging behaviour of banded dotterels (Charadrius bicinctus) in the Richmond River estuary, northern New South Wales, Australia

The foraging behaviour of banded dotterels during day and night was compared at two sites in the Richmond River estuary, northern New South Wales, Australia. Dotterels foraged during all nights of the survey, although the majority of their food intake came from day feeding. Feeding success rate (no. prey/minute) did not differ significantly between lunar phases or night visibility categories but average feeding success rate was lower at night than during the day. Dotterels foraged on a range of prey including sentinel crabs (Macropthalamus spp.), soldier crabs (Mictyris longicarpus), shrimps (Penaeus spp.) and polychaete worms. At night soldier crabs represented a greater proportion of prey consumed than during the day. No polychaete worms were recorded being taken at night. Dotterels displayed a range of foraging behaviours, although the typical dotterel technique of wait-walk-peck-wait was most commonly recorded. Significant differences in the proportion of time that birds spent waiting, flying and vigilant, and the number of pecks/minute and paces/walk were recorded between day and night. Foraging behaviour did not differ between the study sites. Rohweder, D.A.; Lewis, B.D. 2004. Day-night foraging behaviour of banded dotterels (Charadrius bicinctus) in the Richmond River estuary, northern NSW, Australia. Notornis 51(3): 141-146.