Habitat

Nominate ruficolis occurs in a diversity of habitats throughout its wide range in the high Andes, Andean foothills environments, and Patagonian lowlands to Tierra del Fuego. It frequents grasslands, steppes and peatlands, and other unforested areas, preferring semiarid hillsides, but also sometimes uses areas near wetlands (coastal or inland; 18 Johnsgard, P. A. (1981). The Plovers, Sandpipers and Snipes of the World. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE, USA, and London, UK. Close ). Subspecies pallidus occurs in coastal portions of Peru, where it nests on the sandy and nearly vegetation-free lomas zone near sea level (18 Johnsgard, P. A. (1981). The Plovers, Sandpipers and Snipes of the World. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE, USA, and London, UK. Close ).

Occurs on windy semi-arid ridges of grassland or sandy areas with sparse vegetation (86 Fjeldså, J., and N. K. Krabbe (1990). Birds of the High Andes. Apollo Books & Zoological Museum, Svendborg & Copenhagen. Close ), as well as in Patagonian steppe and coastal areas. Subspecies pallidus is resident near the coast of Lambayeque and Piura, and the habitat is the same as in the nonbreeding range; it is common in crop fields, desert scrub, and dry forest throughout the Piura region (87 Ugaz, A., and I. Saldaña (2014). Aves de Piura. Emdecosege S.A. Chiclayo, Perú. Close ). Nominate ruficollis occurs in a variety of habitats. On Isla Chañaral in particular, it is located in an xerophilous habitat composed chiefly of cacti of the genera Eulychnia, Trichocereus, and Neoporteria, shrubs like Nolana sedifolia, Oxalis gigantea, and Frankenia chilensis, and annual herbs such as Amblyopappus pusillus (Asteraceae) and Mesemnbryanthemum crystallinum (Aizoaceae; 69 Vilina, Y., and S. Teillier (1990). The Tawny-throated Dotterel Oreopholus ruficollis in northern Chile. Wader Study Group Bulletin 60:32–33. Close ). Some populations nest in the puna, where they frequent grasslands, lake shores, lagoons, or salt flats.

Habitat in Migration

In Argentina, it occurs in barren areas, cultivated fields, dry meadows (88 López-Lanús, B. (2019). Audiornis Guide to the birds of Argentina, photos and sounds; identification by opposing characteristics and marks on images. Third edition. Audiornis Producciones, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Close ), and grasslands (48 de la Peña, M. R. (2016). Aves argentinas: descripción, comportamiento, reproducción y distribución. Charadriidae a Trochilidae. Comunicaciones del Museo Provincial de Ciencias Naturales “Florentino Ameghino” 20:154–158. Close ). In Chile, during its movements, it can appear in dry valleys, crop and cattle fields, or near wetlands. In Uruguay, it uses natural fields with short vegetation cover that are close to lakes (59 Rocca, P., and J. Aldabe (2012). Chorlos y playeros migratorios de la Laguna de Rocha: Manual para su identificacion y conservacion. Aves Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay Close ).

Habitat in Overwintering Range

Subspecies pallidus occurs in the same habitat throughout the year.

Nominate ruficollis might use plowed fields , and thus has benefited from agricultural development in some areas (89 Isacch, J. P. (2001). Ecología de aves migratorias (Charadrii) durante la invernada en pastizales del sudestede la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tesis Doctoral, Universidad Naclonal de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Close ); it has been recorded using soybean stubble and pastures for planting (Doumecq, eBird), corn stubble (Segura, eBird), wheat fields (Enrique, eBird), and barley fields (Antunez, eBird).

In Uruguay, it mainly inhabits grasslands in the country's interior in high and dry areas. However, it also occurs occasionally in coastal plains and sandy dunes (78 Alfaro, M., and A. B. Azpiroz (2017). Chorlo Cabezón (Oreophollus ruficollis ruficollis). In Libro Rojo de las Aves del Uruguay. Biología y conservación de las aves en peligro de extinción a nivel nacional (A. B. Azpiroz, S. Jiménez, and M. Alfaro, Editors), DINAMA y DINARA, Montevideo, Uruguay. Pp. 131–141. Close , 77 Aldabe, J., H. Caymaris, L. Castelli, R. Güller, and M. Masariche (2017). Aves del Este de Uruguay. Fundación Amigos de las Lagunas Costeras. Montevideo, Uruguay. Close ). Records on the coast (i.e., sandy or muddy beaches) probably correspond to stopovers during their migratory movements (78 Alfaro, M., and A. B. Azpiroz (2017). Chorlo Cabezón (Oreophollus ruficollis ruficollis). In Libro Rojo de las Aves del Uruguay. Biología y conservación de las aves en peligro de extinción a nivel nacional (A. B. Azpiroz, S. Jiménez, and M. Alfaro, Editors), DINAMA y DINARA, Montevideo, Uruguay. Pp. 131–141. Close ). In a study conducted in northern Uruguay on crops, planted meadows, and native grasslands, it was only recorded in native grasslands (90 Azpiroz, A. B., and J. G. Blake (2009). Avian assemblages in altered and natural grasslands in the northern campos of Uruguay. Condor 111(1):21–35. Close ). It prefers short vegetation (maintained due to livestock grazing) that would facilitate the detection of food (91 Isacch, J. P., and M. M. Martínez (2003). Habitat use by non-breeding shorebirds in flooding pampas grasslands of Argentina. Waterbirds 26:494–500. Close , 90 Azpiroz, A. B., and J. G. Blake (2009). Avian assemblages in altered and natural grasslands in the northern campos of Uruguay. Condor 111(1):21–35. Close ).

In Bolivia, it is a rare year-round resident of the Lake Titicaca basin, and a rare to uncommon winter visitor in the high Andean region. It frequently uses puna grasslands, lakeshores, and lagoons with sparse vegetation, as well as agricultural areas (Birdsofbolivia.org).

In the lowlands of Argentina's pampas, it is mainly associated with "high fields" (i.e., not floodable) dominated by "flechilla" species (especially Stipa neesiana; 91 Isacch, J. P., and M. M. Martínez (2003). Habitat use by non-breeding shorebirds in flooding pampas grasslands of Argentina. Waterbirds 26:494–500. Close ).