Charadrius morinellus

Red List

Rare Breeding Bird Panel   Breeding records welcome

Dotterel is a scarce spring passage migrant on North and South Uist between April and June. It is rare on Lewis with nineteen records between 1954-2019, Benbecula (1992, 1997, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2015, 2021), and St Kilda with eight records (1980, 1990, 1992, 1996, 2007, 2008, 2009), and very rare on Harris (2012), and North Rona (2001). Peak passage occurs in May with the vast majority of sightings occurring in that month. There are only sixteen records in April, mostly in years where they arrive late in the month, and four in June.

There are three reports in July: A bird on Lewis was seen in distraction display in July 1982 and another was seen nest scraping on North Uist in 1998. A single bird was present on South Uist from late-July to mid-August in 2012.

Dotterel is a very rare autumn passage migrant between August and October on Lewis (2004, 2020), Harris (1981), North Uist (1987, 2019), South Uist (1986, 2007, 2016, 2019), and Barra (1951, 1976, 1986, 1990), and rare and St. Kilda with nine records (1974, 1986, 1990, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2008). Most records are in September with three in August and two in October.

There is one record of a bird in November on South Uist on the 1st in 2019.

The maximum number seen in any one year was at least 40 in 1998, all of which occurred in the spring. Trips of 12, 20, and 25 have occurred on occasions with the last double figure count being on North Uist in 2011.

There are no records from Vatersay.

There are three historical records all from the Outliers: Flannan Isles, when a bird was “obtained” in 1906, and North Rona (1910, 1938).

Dotterel © Tony Marr