Red-kneed Dotterel

Description:

The Red-kneed Dotterel is a "small, plump wader with relatively long legs. It has a black cap covering the eye that reaches from the upper bill to the lower hindneck. A black breast-band stand out against the entirely white chin and throat band. The breast-band grades into chestnut brown flanks. The upperparts are greenish brown and the underparts are white from the belly to the undertail. The bill is red with a blackish tip and the legs from the knees up are red, giving the species its common name. [...] In all birds there is a sharp edge between the dark hood and white throat." (Birdlife Australia)

Habitat:

Running around in the mud at Mankajarra Wetlands. This is towards the end of the dry season and in the build up to the wet season. Although the water level was low at the time, (it got much lower see pic 4 taken three weeks after the Dotterel), there was still water and food due to the large amount of rain from the previous wet season (see pic 3 taken April 2017 just after the wet season) . Mankajarra has stands of Paperbark Trees (Melaleuca sp.) and other plants along the edges of the water. When the water level is high, the trees are in the water (see pic 3) and the birds have many more places to hide in and hunt from.

Notes:

Check out the little video of two little Dotterels running around in the mud: https://youtu.be/OnbHIRUUim8 I had only seen these little birds at these wetlands once or twice before. First identified from: The Michael Morcombe eGuide to Australian Birds, Mobile App.