Wrybill (Anarhynchus frontalis)

The laying season runs between September and October; a clutch of two eggs is laid into a slight depression amongst the gravel. Both parents take it in turn to incubate the eggs that are well camouflaged against the shingle, resembling the stones around them (4). The parents also rely on camouflage to remain undetected with their ash-grey plumage barely visible amongst the stones (4). The chicks are able to leave their nest within a day of hatching and follow their parents on foraging trips (4). Birds begin to leave the breeding grounds by late December; this species is one of the first of the season to begin its migration (4). Using its specially adapted beak, the wrybill is able to forage under stones for invertebrates such as mayfly larvae (3).

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