Hooded Plover

The Hooded Plover is a small shorebird endemic to Australia's southern coastlines. It is easily recognized by its distinctive black head and throat, a white collar, a black-tipped red bill, and orange legs.

They are ground-nesting birds, and during the breeding season, they create a simple scrape in the sand or among dunes, laying their eggs in the open. These eggs are perfectly camouflaged to blend in with the sand, which makes them hard to locate, creating a unique challenge with beach users who may accidentally trample eggs. As a result, Hooded Plover has a low breeding success rate, although coordinated conservation efforts and community education has greatly improved this rate.

You can find Hooded Plovers on the Mornington Peninsula on beaches facing Bass Strait such as Flinders Ocean Beach.