About Erythrogonys cinctus Gould, 1838
This species, Erythrogonys cinctus Gould, 1838, is commonly known as the red-kneed dotterel. Adult red-kneed dotterels have distinctively patterned plumage. They have a black cap or hood that starts at the bill, extends below the eyes, and blends into the grey-brown color of the back at the nape. Their chin and throat are white. A broad black band crosses the breast, connects to the nape, and extends onto the flanks as a chestnut stripe. Their belly and vent are white. The back and mantle are grey-brown. The upperwing is mainly black, with a white trailing edge. The upper part of the leg, including the tarsal joint (referred to as the "knee"), is red. The bill is red with a dark tip. This species is native to mainland Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in Tasmania, Palau, and New Zealand. It inhabits mainly the margins of shallow ephemeral and permanent freshwater wetlands. It can occasionally be found in saline wetlands, and only rarely occurs in tidal wetlands. Its diet consists of arthropods, molluscs, annelids, and seeds.
