Small plover with distinctive head pattern. Alternate Adult: Dark eye with distinctive complete golden eye ring. Small dark bill with limited pale orange base to lower mandible. Highly patterned head with an earth-brown crown, white throat and forehead, contrasting black lores, extensive black auriculars and black band on fore-crown. Brown nape and hind-crown separated from black fore-crown band and black auriculars by a narrow but bold white line, complete white collar. Black breast band that narrows as it extends all the way around body bordering lower edge of white collar. White underparts. Plain earth-brown upperparts. Long tertials. Brown tail with black tip and white edges. Pale yellow legs. Basic Adult: Similar to breeding, but black on face is replaced by brown. Dark brown auriculars and fore-crown separated from hind-crown and nape by inconspicuous pale brownish line. White forehead. White throat and collar. Dark brown or black collar either complete or nearly complete. Juvenile: Similar to Basic Adult, but breast band reduced. Often shows buff on throat and forehead. Pale-edged fringes on scapulars and wing coverts create a scaly look to upperparts.

Length: 15 (cm) Wingspan: 45 (cm)

Habitat:

Lawns, bare ground, sand, mud and shallow water.

Behavior:

Forages using a run-stop-peck-run style. Migratory.

Feeding:

Diet consists of insects, spiders and crustaceans.