ngutuparore - wrybill - Anarhynchus frontalis
The wrybill is a small pale plover which breeds only in braided rivers of the South Island. It is the only bird in the world with a laterally-curved bill (always curved to the right), which it uses to reach insect larvae under rounded riverbed stones. Wrybills are completely dependent on braided rivers for breeding; all their life stages are predominantly grey, and highly cryptic among the greywacke shingle of the riverbeds.
The wrybill is an internal migrant. After breeding, almost the entire population migrates north to winter in the harbours of the northern North Island, notably the Firth of Thames and Manukau Harbour. On their wintering grounds, wrybills form dense flocks at high-water roosts; the highly-coordinated aerial manoeuvres of these flocks have been described as resembling a flung scarf.
Wrybills are small, pale plovers that are much more approachable than most New Zealand waders. Their underparts are white, with a black upper breast band from mid-winter to the end of the breeding season. The upper parts and sides of the face are pale grey, and the forehead white. The bill is long and black, with the distal third curved 12-26° to the right. The legs are dark grey to black. The sexes are alike in eclipse plumage; juveniles lack the black breast band. In breeding plumage, males are distinguishable by a black line above the forehead; this is highly variable however, and difficult to see in some individuals - www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz
ngutuparore - wrybill - Anarhynchus frontalis
The wrybill is a small pale plover which breeds only in braided rivers of the South Island. It is the only bird in the world with a laterally-curved bill (always curved to the right), which it uses to reach insect larvae under rounded riverbed stones. Wrybills are completely dependent on braided rivers for breeding; all their life stages are predominantly grey, and highly cryptic among the greywacke shingle of the riverbeds.
The wrybill is an internal migrant. After breeding, almost the entire population migrates north to winter in the harbours of the northern North Island, notably the Firth of Thames and Manukau Harbour. On their wintering grounds, wrybills form dense flocks at high-water roosts; the highly-coordinated aerial manoeuvres of these flocks have been described as resembling a flung scarf.
Wrybills are small, pale plovers that are much more approachable than most New Zealand waders. Their underparts are white, with a black upper breast band from mid-winter to the end of the breeding season. The upper parts and sides of the face are pale grey, and the forehead white. The bill is long and black, with the distal third curved 12-26° to the right. The legs are dark grey to black. The sexes are alike in eclipse plumage; juveniles lack the black breast band. In breeding plumage, males are distinguishable by a black line above the forehead; this is highly variable however, and difficult to see in some individuals - www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz