Eurasian Dotterel

Eudromias morinellus (Linnaeus, 1758)

≈24 cmLength108 gWeight

It has a conspicuous white supercilium, with a chestnut breast and black belly in adults in summer.

Busiest months: September–October · Most records: United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain

Looks like European Golden Plover

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Conspicuous white supercilium in all seasonal plumages
Adults have a white line along the upper edge of the chestnut breast in summer
Adults have a black belly in summer
Yellow legs and feet; short black bill

Male, female and young

The female has brighter plumage than the male.

Voice

A soft “pyurr” in flight; the female sings simple, repeated whistles.

Similar species

European Golden Plover

Eurasian Dotterel is smaller and more compact in build than European Golden Plover.

Where and when it's recorded

Eurasian Dotterel has been recorded at 206 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 46 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

PN Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina – Vale SantoPortugal205 records
LinosaItaly143 records
St Mary'sUnited Kingdom130 records

More places

Cabo Gata PNat – Rambla MoralesSpain97 records
PN Arrábida – cabo Espichel – área geralPortugal68 records
El Estrecho PNat – Los LancesSpain63 records
RivaTürkiye56 records
Spurn Bird Observatory Recording AreaUnited Kingdom34 records
Besh Barmag bottleneckAzerbaijan34 records
Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom32 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom Portugal Spain Italy Türkiye France Norway Sweden

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

Questions

How big is the Eurasian Dotterel?

The Eurasian Dotterel is about ≈24 cm long and weighs around 108 g.

Where does the Eurasian Dotterel live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: high Arctic coastal tundra; alpine zone of temperate Europe and Asia: northern British Isles, Scandinavia, northwestern Russia (including Novaya Zemlya and New Siberian Islands, north of northwestern, northeastern Siberia) to Chukotskiy Peninsula (northeastern Siberia) and western Alaska (including St. Lawrence Island, northern Bering Sea); south to Pyrenees, Alps and Carpathians; Altai of northeastern Kazakhstan, south-central Russia, northwestern Mongolia, and far northern Xinjiang (northwestern China), and montane north-central, eastern, Mongolia. It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain.

When is the best time to see the Eurasian Dotterel?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September and October (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Eurasian Dotterel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Eurasian Dotterel as Least Concern.

What does the Eurasian Dotterel eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Eurasian Dotterel in?

It belongs to the family Plovers (Charadriidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: ≈24 cm
Weight: 108 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 147 mm
Tail: 66 mm
Bill: 19 mm
Tarsus: 36 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: high Arctic coastal tundra; alpine zone of temperate Europe and Asia: northern British Isles, Scandinavia, northwestern Russia (including Novaya Zemlya and New Siberian Islands, north of northwestern, northeastern Siberia) to Chukotskiy Peninsula (northeastern Siberia) and western Alaska (including St. Lawrence Island, northern Bering Sea); south to Pyrenees, Alps and Carpathians; Altai of northeastern Kazakhstan, south-central Russia, northwestern Mongolia, and far northern Xinjiang (northwestern China), and montane north-central, eastern, Mongolia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2