Birds
Rufous-chested Dotterel
Charadrius modestus
Sporting a rufous-toned chest during the breeding season, a rufous-chested dotterel nests across open grassland in Patagonia and the Falkland Islands before migrating north each year to a much broader non-breeding range.
Overview
The rufous-chested dotterel, Charadrius modestus, is a Least Concern bird native to grassland and coastal habitat across southern South America and the Falkland Islands. Its distinctive rufous breeding-season chest, its long annual migration, and its preference for dry, short-grass habitat make it one of the more visually striking migratory plovers found anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere.
A colourful breeder, a plain traveller
Transformed by a rufous-toned chest each breeding season, the rufous-chested dotterel fades into a far plainer plumage once it begins its long annual migration north, trading conspicuous colour for camouflage across a much broader non-breeding range.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and generally stable across suitable grassland and coastal habitat throughout its breeding and non-breeding range.
Rufous-chested Dotterel: common questions
How did the rufous-chested dotterel get its name?
This species has a distinctive rufous or orange-toned chest during the breeding season, a feature that gives the species its common name and fades outside the breeding period.
Where does the rufous-chested dotterel breed?
This species breeds across open grassland in Patagonia and the Falkland Islands, favouring dry, short-grass habitat for nesting.
Does the rufous-chested dotterel migrate?
Yes, this species migrates north each year to spend the non-breeding season across a much broader swath of South America beyond its southern breeding range.
Does the rufous-chested dotterel look the same year-round?
No, this species has a relatively plain, understated plumage outside the breeding season, quite different from its more distinctive rufous-chested breeding colouring.