Eurasian Dotterel

Overview

Eurasian Dotterel: Medium-sized shorebird with gray upperparts, rust-brown flanks and belly with black lower margin, and white vent. Narrow white breast band is prominent. Cap is dark and two white eyestripes meet in a V at nape. Feet and legs are yellow. Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Eurasian Dotterel: Native of Eurasia; uncommon in western Alaska during summer. Nests on plateaus and mountain slopes below highest tops; prefers dry sandy or stony areas on high plateaus during winter.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Eurasian Dotterel has long been considered tame and unsuspecting. This led to it being easy prey for illegal collection, causing a population decrease.
A consequence of the friendly and trusting nature of this bird has caused the name 'dotterel' in English to carry a negative connotation. The term is a contemptuous label used to describe somebody who is considered to be a doting old fool.
They obtain their diet of insects and small invertebrates by using a run-and-pause technique, rather than the steady probing of some other wader groups.
A group of dotterels are collectively known as a "trip" of dotterel.

The Eurasian Dotterel is currently evaluated as Least Concern. The range of the Eurasian Dotterel is about 10 million square kilometers. The large population of this bird species is estimated to be about 200,000 individual birds. This is a terrestrial bird that is native to portions of Europe and Asia. The Least Concern rating is downgraded from a prior rating of Lower Risk that was issued in 2000. At this time, the population and range of the Eurasian Dotterel is stable enough for there to be no serious concern regarding possible population decline in the near future.