Wrybill
Sign in to saveThe wrybill or (in Māori) ngutuparore (Anarhynchus frontalis) is a species of plover endemic to New Zealand. It is the only species of bird in the world with a beak that is bent sideways in one direction, always to the right (in the crossbills, e.g. Loxia pytyopsittacus, the tips of the upper and lower mandibles cross because they are bent sideways in opposite directions, sometimes left over right and sometimes right over left). A 2015 study found it to be within the Charadrius clade (although it is now classified in the genus Anarhynchus), with other New Zealand plovers its closest relatives;
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Anarhynchus
- Mass
- +11.4
- Image
- Anarhynchus frontalis 183858380.jpg
Show 3 more facts
- P105
- species
- P141
- Vulnerable
- P183
- New Zealand
via Wikidata · CC0
Article
11 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Description
- Distribution and habitat
- Behaviour
- Breeding
- Ecology
- Diet and foraging
- Predators and threats
- Conservation status
- References
- External links
The wrybill or (in Māori) ngutuparore (Anarhynchus frontalis) is a species of plover endemic to New Zealand. It is the only species of bird in the world with a beak that is bent sideways in one direction, always to the right (in the crossbills, e.g. Loxia pytyopsittacus, the tips of the upper and lower mandibles cross because they are bent sideways in opposite directions, sometimes left over right and sometimes right over left). A 2015 study found it to be within the Charadrius clade (although it is now classified in the genus Anarhynchus), with other New Zealand plovers its closest relatives; the nearest being the New Zealand dotterel or New Zealand plover (Anarhynchus obscurus), and then the double-banded plover or banded dotterel (Anarhynchus bicinctus).
It lays its eggs among the rocks along rivers and distracts intruders by pretending to be in distress and moving away from its clutch.