Double-banded Plover
Anarhynchus bicinctus (previously Charadrius bicinctus)
IUCN status: Near threatened
Flyway population 25 000 (2022 estimate)
Robert Bush. Moreton Island. 2019
Robert Bush. Moreton Bay. 2012
Identification
Non-breeding: The upperparts are a uniform grey brown, though very narrow boarders might be seen on the edges of the feathers. The underparts are white with an incomplete collar of grey brown extending down the neck. The forehead is off-white. There is a black line extending from the black bill to beyond the eye, and a white line above this. The belly through to the vent is white. There is a very narrow white wingbar seen in flight.
Breeding: Has a double band across the breast. The upper one is narrower and black, whilst the lower one is broader and chestnut. The head, neck, back and wings are grey-brown and the tail dark. The underparts are white. Female is duller.
Juvenile: Similar to the non-breeding plumage. Pale tips to the feathers of the back and neck can be seen in fresh plumage. The lines above the eye are more distinct.
Confusing Species
In non-breeding plumage is confused with:
Greater Sand Plover: Which is larger, has a thicker bill, longer legs and a more upright stance
Lesser Sand Plover: Closer to the Double-banded Plover in size but has a white forehead, thicker bill and a more upright stance.
Distribution
The Double-banded Plover uniquely migrates from spending Summers in New Zealand to spending winters in Australia. In NZ, most coastal birds are sedentary. Inland birds are almost all migratory. Birds breeding inland south of Christchurch migrate to Australia. Other inland breeders migrate within NZ.
Monthly reports of Curlew Sandpiper in Queensland
Best sites in Queensland to see Double-banded Plover
Yearly trends in Queensland
International and Nationally Important sites in Queensland
| Significant Bird Area | Year | Peak Count | International | National |
| Moreton Bay | 2016 | 205 | No | Yes |
| Great Sandy Strait | 2011 | 195 | No | Yes |
| Mackay | 2013 | 62 | No | Yes |
| Central Qld Narrows | 2012 | 43 | No | Yes |
Conservation
EPBC listing: Marine, Migratory, Not listed as threatened.
References
- BirdLife Australia (2023). Double-banded Plover. [Text before updates sourced from: Marchant, S. et al (eds) 1990-2006 Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds.Volume 1 to 7.] Birdlife Australia. Birdlife Australia. Source: https://hanzab.birdlife.org.au/species/double-banded-plover/ Accessed: April 30, 2026 Time Zone: +10:00
- Wiersma, P., G. M. Kirwan, and P. F. D. Boesman (2023). Double-banded Plover (Anarhynchus bicinctus), version 1.1. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.dobplo1.01.1
- eBird. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org (Accessed: Date 12/4/2026)
- Rogers A, Fuller RA & Amano T (2023) Australia’s migratory shorebirds: Trends and prospects. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. University of Queensland, Brisbane.
- Driessen, J., Kidd, L. R., Weller, D. R., Purnell, C., Maguire, G., Jaensch, R., and LeClair, S. M. (2025). Australian National Directory of Important Migratory Shorebird Habitat. Report for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. BirdLife Australia, Melbourne.
- https://sproggies63.github.io/birding_apps/