the eggs have been laid. Because the nests are on the ground, the chicks can walk the day they hatch. They are cared for by their parents but have to find their own food as the adults do not feed them. Parents will often go to great lengths to protect their chicks, as sometimes the parent will pretend to be injured to let the chicks escape, or usher chicks into grass or holes when threatened. They can usually fly within 6–8 weeks Diet Dotterels feed on small sand hoppers and insects, however they will sometimes feed on small aquatic creatures like small fish and crabs. Status The IUCN, which treats the two subspecies as separate species, rates the northern subspecies as Near Threatened and the southern subspecies as Critically Endangered. The population size of the southerly subspecies had been reduced to about 62 individual birds in 1990 and the first study of the population structure undertaken from 1988 to 1992 indicated their significant decline. Conservation measures were put in place involving the poisoning of feral cats and rats and the population has gradually risen, with about 250 individuals being recorded in 2005. The northerly subspecies has a wider range and its population was about 1300 in 1989. It had recovered to about 1700 individuals by 2004 but only as a result of intensive management. Nesting on beaches, they are vulnerable to disturbance by people and their dogs. Since 2012, there has been a rapid decline in numbers in the southern population, with an estimated 60 to 80 mature individuals in 2017. The northern subspecies has the conservation status of "Regionally Critical" in the Wellington Region. In the Hawke's Bay region, the species was locally extinct from the late 19th century. However, in 1990 some birds were seen at the Mahia Peninsula. Coastliine surveys conducted in 2011 and 2021 found that numbers in the region had more than doubled over the ten year period, with 222 birds counted in 2021. Gallery References Further reading External links New Zealand dotterel/tūturiwhatu Department of Conservation Charadrius Endemic birds of New Zealand Birds described in 1789 Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin