- Pedionomus torquatus
Identification
15–19 cm. The adult male is light brown above, and has fawn-white underparts with black crescents. The adult female has a distinctive white-spotted black collar and rufous bib. They have a distinctive pattern on the upper wing.
Distribution
Taxonomy
The Plains-wanderer is the sole member of the family Pedionomidae (occasionally placed in suborder Thinocori), within order Charadriiformes. While superficially resembling button-quails, it appears that the Plains-wanderer is more closely related to plovers and dotterels. Christidis and Boles (1994) follow Sibley and Monroe (1990) in associating the Pedionomidae with the Jacanidae and Scolopacidae.
Habitat
Lowland native grasslands. They prefer areas with a mix of bare ground and low, widely spaced plants.
Status
Classified as Endangered in the 2008 IUCN Red List.1
Behaviour
The diet includes seeds, insects and spiders.
The female scratches a hollow in the ground, lines it with grass and usually lays 4 eggs. The male incubates the eggs and rears the chicks. The female then pairs with another male.
References
BirdLife International (2008) Species factsheet: Pedionomus torquatus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 8/9/2008.
