Eurasian Dotterel
Eurasian Dotterel
Charadrius morinellus
At a Glance
Across northern Europe and Asia, this beautiful small plover nests on high, dry tundra, and it has been found nesting a few times on similar terrain in western Alaska. Strays have been found very rarely south of Alaska on the Pacific Coast in fall.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Plovers, Sandpiper-like Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Tundra and Boreal Habitats
Region
Alaska and The North
Behavior
Direct Flight, Rapid Wingbeats, Running
Range & Identification
Description
8-9" (20-23 cm). In breeding plumage, has narrow white band across gray chest; belly cinnamon and black; bold white eyebrow. Females brighter than males. Young birds and winter adults lack bright colors but show hint of summer pattern on chest, face.
Size
About the size of a Robin
Color
Black, Brown, Gray, Red, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Rounded, Short, Square-tipped, Wedge-shaped
Songs and Calls
A soft pip-pip or pip-pip-pip.
Call Pattern
Falling, Flat, Rising
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Trill
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