The Three-banded Plover – overlooked beauty

The diminutive Three-banded Plover is a striking little bird, which often presents a rather drab appearance unless seen close-up from the front – it is only then that the two black chest-bands separated by a single white one, and the iridescent eye with a neon-orange eye wattle can be appreciated.
 

It is a typical plover, terrestrial but usually associated with freshwater, where it can be seen in pairs or small groups. It forages on open shores, using the typical plover run-stop-search mode of finding food, but it also employs the foot-tremble technique in shallow, muddy water– standing on one leg and vibrating the toes of the other foot to attract prey to the surface. Its diet consists of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, including insects and their larvae, small molluscs and worms.

Photo's: Pete Hancock

One of the fascinating features of the Three-banded Plover is its breeding behaviour. Its nest is a shallow scrape on a pebbly sandbank (although it may also be located some distance from water) and it is usually neatly lined with small stones. The normal clutch size is two eggs – occasionally one or three, seldom four – and they are extremely well-camouflaged. Also noticeable is their size – for such a small bird, the eggs are enormous, as can be seen in the accompanying photograph. This is because the plover chicks are precocial – after a relatively long incubation period (28 days, compared to 13 for the similar sized Laughing Dove) the large and well-developed chicks hatch and can walk and fend for themselves immediately. Breeding takes place during most months, but mainly from July to October. I once found a nest during October, the hottest month in Botswana, and at mid-day the temperature near the nest was well over 40o Celsius – the parents were taking turns to shade the eggs to keep them cool rather than warm! It was obvious that they were heat-stressed, as the bird on the nest ruffled its feathers to catch even the slightest breeze and was constantly gular fluttering – a substitute for panting where the bird flutters its throat to get air onto the moist surfaces in its mouth. Nest changeovers were made every 20 minutes when the incubating bird could stand the heat no longer. Unfortunately I was not around to witness the hatching of the chicks, but hoped that it took place after the rains had cooled the earth significantly.

Photo: M. Monwela

Fortunately the Three-banded Plover is quite abundant in Southern Africa at present, and its conservation status is secure. Look out for it on your next birding outing!

Pete Hancock

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