Birds and wildlife

Dotterel

Charadrius morinellusGroup: PloversUK Conservation status:Red

How to identify

Dotterels are unusual because the adult female is brighter than the male, mirroring the role-reversal seen in how they raise their young. Adults have largely grey-brown upperparts and bright chestnut belly, with a white chest band, throat and eyestripe which contrasts with their dark cap. When migrating in spring, this member of the plover family is often seen in groups, or 'trips', at traditional stopping places.

Key

  1. Resident
  2. Passage
  3. Summer
  4. Winter
* This map is intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Key facts