Double-banded Plover

The double-banded plover (Anarhynchus bicinctus), known as the banded dotterel or pohowera in New Zealand, is a species of bird in the plover family. Two subspecies are recognised: the nominate Anarhynchus bicinctus bicinctus, which breeds throughout New Zealand, including the Chatham Islands, and A. b. exilis, which breeds in New Zealand's subantarctic Auckland Islands. == Taxonomy == A 2015 study by Phylogenetics and Evolution found its closest relatives to be two other plovers found in New Zealand, the New Zealand dotterel (A. obscurus, also called the New Zealand plover) and the wrybill (A. frontalis, which the study found to be in the Charadrius clade). == Description == The double-banded plover is distinguished by a dark, grey-brown back with a distinctive white chest and a thin band of black situated just below the neck running across the chest along with a larger brown band underneath. During breeding season, these bands are more dominantly shown on the males compared to females. Younger birds have no bands, and are often speckled brown on top, with less white parts. These shorebirds have relatively long legs to allow them to easily wade around shallow waters and move efficiently around sandy beaches. Their long pointed wings…