Skip to main content
Least Concern

Eurasian Dotterel

Eudromias morinellus

Eurasian Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

See what's near you right now

The Eurasian Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) is a member of the Charadriidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 108 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Charadriiformes
  3. Family Charadriidae Plovers
  4. Genus Eudromias
  5. Species morinellus

Where it lives

High Arctic coastal tundra; alpine zone of temperate Europe and Asia: northern British Isles, Scandinavia, northwestern Russia (including Novaya Zemlya and New Siberian Is., north of northwestern, northeastern Siberia) to Chukotskiy Pen. (northeastern Siberia) and western Alaska (including St. Lawrence I., 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

Quick facts

Weight
108 g
Family
Charadriidae

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Eurasian Dotterel is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Eurasian Dotterel is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Eurasian Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) is a species of plovers in the family Charadriidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in Europe & Northern Asia — high Arctic coastal tundra; alpine zone of temperate Europe and Asia: n British Isles, Scandinavia, nw Russia (including Novaya Zemlya and New Siberian Is., n of nw, ne Siberia) to Chukotskiy Pen. (ne Siberia) and w Alaska (including St. Lawrence I., n Bering Sea); s to Pyrenees, Alps and Carpathians; Altai of ne Kazakhstan, sc Russia, nw Mongolia, and far n Xinjiang (nw China), and montane nc, e, Mongolia.

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Eurasian Dotterel?

The Eurasian Dotterel is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 108 g.

Where does the Eurasian Dotterel live?

The Eurasian Dotterel is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL high Arctic coastal tundra; alpine zone of temperate Europe and Asia: n British Isles, Scandinavia, nw Russia (including Novaya Zemlya and New Siberian Is., n of nw, ne Siberia) to Chukotskiy Pen. (ne Siberia) and w Alaska (including St. Lawrence I., n Bering Sea); s to Pyrenees, Alps and Carpathians; Altai of ne Kazakhstan, sc Russia, nw Mongolia, and far n Xinjiang (nw China), and montane nc, e, Mongolia, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Eurasian Dotterel belong to?

The Eurasian Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) belongs to the Charadriidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Eurasian Dotterel eat?

The Eurasian Dotterel is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Eurasian Dotterel migrate?

The Eurasian Dotterel is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Eurasian Dotterel endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

How large is the Eurasian Dotterel's range?

The Eurasian Dotterel has a mapped global range of about 3.8 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Charadriidae

More in Shorebirds

Back to top