Specialised shorebirds frequent dynamic sandy shore ecosystems yet their foraging behaviour is often poorly known. We examine the effects of environmental (season, tide and level of the beach [zone]) and demographical/social (age, flock size, breeding status) variables on foraging behaviour (foraging rate [bill movements per minute], and foraging success [proportion of successful bill movements]) of a sandy-shore specialist, the eastern Hooded Plover Thinornis cucullatus. We analysed 1190 foraging observations of 217 individually marked birds from 32 Victorian beaches (south-eastern Australia), and separately sampled invertebrate abundance at representative breeding and flocking sites to characterise zonation of prey. The environmental model, namely zone and season, was the best predictor of foraging rate. Both the environmental and demographic models predicted foraging success, where zone, season, tide and breeding status were strong predictors. Immatures had higher foraging rates but lower success than adults. Adults foraged at higher rates near the water's edge but more successfully on the upper beach. Birds foraged with highest success and at the lowest rate during spring. Hooded Plovers rely on all levels of the beach for foraging. Preventing processes that disrupt prey resources, and enhancing prey resources through supplementation of macrophyte wrack may increase prey availability.

专门的水鸟经常在动态的沙质海岸生态系统中觅食，但其觅食行为却鲜为人知。我们研究了环境（季节，潮汐和海滩[区域]的水平）和人口/社会（年龄，鸡群大小，繁殖状况）变量对觅食行为（觅食率[每分钟的账单运动]和觅食成功[票据成功移动的比例]）沙质海岸专家，东部连帽珩科鸟Thinornis cucullatus。我们分析了来自32个维多利亚海滩（澳大利亚东南部）的217个单独标记的鸟类的1190觅食观察，并在代表性的繁殖和成群地点分别采样了无脊椎动物的数量，以表征猎物的分区。环境模型（即区域和季节）是觅食率的最佳预测指标。环境模型和人口模型都可以预测觅食的成功，而区域，季节，潮汐和繁殖状况是重要的预测指标。未成年人的觅食率较高，但成年率却低于成年人。成年人在水边附近觅食的比率更高，但在上层海滩觅食的成功率更高。在春季，鸟类以最高的成功率和最低的速度觅食。戴兜帽的Plovers会在海滩的各个层面上觅食。防止破坏猎物资源的过程，