Travelling throughout New Zealand, especially through farmland, the one bird that one is most likely to see is the spur–winged plover, very often being harried by and, in turn, harrying a harrier hawk. However, the bird did not used to be so widespread, the first pair recorded breeding at Invercargiull airport in 1932. In spite of the heavy predation by harrier hawks and those rural people who make a habit of using birds for target practice, its numbers have now become so great that there is talk of culling them, especially where they are impinging on threatened species such as the New Zealand dotterel.
There are two well marked races of this bird; the smaller race, Vanellus miles novaehollandiae, originally just bred in the south–east of Australia but then externded its range to Tasmania and New Zealand. The other, northern, race, Vanellus miles miles, has extended its range from northern Australia to New Guinea.
Both races frequent wet grasslands but will readily adapt to man–made habitats such as pastures, sports grounds, airfields and even median strips on busy roads. Birds have even been known to nest on the roofs of houses. Because of this adaptability, the species has increased both in numbers and distribution since European settlement.
The spur–winged plover feeds mainly on insects, worms and similar small invertebrates but will also eat seeds. Their main call is a is a loud, penetrating rattle, often heard at night which may explain why farmers have grown to hate them.
