Species names in all available languages
| Language | Common name |
|---|---|
| Catalan | corriol gorja-roig |
| Czech | kulík tenkozobý |
| Dutch | Andesplevier |
| English | Tawny-throated Dotterel |
| English (United States) | Tawny-throated Dotterel |
| French | Pluvier oréophile |
| French (France) | Pluvier oréophile |
| German | Orangekehl-Regenpfeifer |
| Japanese | ノドアカコバシチドリ |
| Norwegian | rusthalslo |
| Polish | mornelak |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | batuíra-de-papo-ferrugíneo |
| Portuguese (Portugal) | Batuíra-de-papo-ruivo |
| Russian | Андский хрустан |
| Serbian | Sivogrudi patagonski zujavac |
| Slovak | kulík hnedohrdlý |
| Spanish | Chorlito Cabezón |
| Spanish (Argentina) | Chorlo Cabezón |
| Spanish (Chile) | Chorlo de campo |
| Spanish (Ecuador) | Chorlo Cabezón Cuellicanelo |
| Spanish (Peru) | Chorlo de Campo |
| Spanish (Spain) | Chorlito cabezón |
| Spanish (Uruguay) | Chorlo Cabezón |
| Swedish | rosthalspipare |
| Turkish | Kızıl Gerdanlı Cılıbıt |
| Ukrainian | Хрустан тонкодзьобий |
Revision Notes
Carlos E. Rivas and Antoine Touret revised the account as part of a partnership with Red de Observadores de Aves y Vida Silvestre de Chile (ROC). Peter Pyle contributed to the Plumages, Molts, and Structure page. Guy M. Kirwan contributed to the Systematics page. Peter F. D. Boesman contributed to the Sounds and Vocal Behavior page. Arnau Bonan Barfull curated the media.
Oreopholus ruficollis (Wagler, 1829)
Definitions
- OREOPHOLUS
- ruficollis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Tawny-throated Dotterel Oreopholus ruficollis Scientific name definitions
Version: 2.0 — Published July 5, 2024
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Photos from this Account
Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Possible Confusion species: Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda).
Upland Sandpiper has longer legs, pale face, buff breast heavily streaked, and whitish lower underparts.
Possible Confusion species: Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda).
Upland Sandpiper showing its buff breast heavily streaked, and its whitish lower underparts.
Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis) has white underwings, and the conspicuous black patch on belly is diagnostic.
Possible Confusion species: American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica).
The American Golden-Plover has a gray underwing. Some birds that have started molting in Alternate Plumage may show some black on the belly.
Possible Confusion species: American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica).
The American Golden-Plover has gray underwing. From above, the American Golden-Plover also lacks a prominent white wing stripe.
Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis)
Possible confusion species: Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis)
From below, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper lacks the black belly patch of the Tawny-throated Dotterel, and the primary coverts have dark centers, creating a distinctive underwing pattern.
Possible confusion species: Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis)
From above, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper lacks a bold white wing stripe.
Natal Down in Tawny-throated Dotterel.
Hatchlings are covered with thick down, patterned to provide crypsis against breeding subtrates. Upperparts and wings mottled blackish, buff, tawny, and gray with darker patches on crown and sides of lower back. The legs of hatchlings can be dusky washed pink.
Natal Down in Tawny-throated Dotterel.
As chicks develop patterned down is replaced by more uniform buff down above and whitish down below.
Natal Down in Tawny-throated Dotterel.
Older chicks are appear more uniformly buff with sparser black mottling above. Note the dull dusky pink legs.
Juvenile Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Juvenile Plumage is similar to later plumages but duller, buffier, and less patterned. Upperpart feathers broadly fringed buff creating a scaled appearance. Throat only tinged or washed tawny. Gray breast feathers fringed pale. Black patch on abdomen absent. Legs can be paler pink than in older birds.
Juvenile Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Body feathers uniform in quality, without contrasts in feather generations or wear due to protracted molts. Note reduced tawny throat with black markings and scaled look to breast and upperparts. Black patch on abdomen often absent.
Juvenile Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Feathers of upperparts and breast fringed pale; throat can be tinged tawny, often with black markings. Juvenile outer primaries and rectrices are narrower and more tapered than in basic feathers. Note absence of black feathering on abdomen.
Formative Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Formative Plumage is best identified by retained juvenile flight feathers. Here note a few outer greater and 1-2 outer median coverts appear to be retained, worn and brownish with narrower fringing, contrasting with replaced newer and more brightly fringed formative inner and lesser coverts. A visible outer tertial appears also to be replaced, contrasting with adjacent juvenile secondaries. Juvenile primaries and primary coverts appear to be retained, relatively narrow, brownish, worn, and not showing molt clines indicating replacement.
Formative Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Formative Plumage usually averages duller than basic plumage, with duller tawny throat and often less black feathering to the abdomen (beware fresh basic birds can have buff fringing to these feathers). Note also the brown and worn outer primary tips, retained juvenile feathers indicating Formative Plumage. Note duller pinkish legs.
Formative Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Note apparent molt limit in outer greater coverts. Juvenile remiges lack molt clines. The throat is dull and the black abdomen patch reduced in size.
First Alternate Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
First Alternate Plumage is similar to Formative but back feathers and some to all scapulars (at least) replaced, brighter and edged bright buff to tawny, contrasting with more worn and browner, formative scapulars and wing coverts. The throat and abdomen are brighter due to molt or feather wear, although First Alternate Plumage appears to continue averaging duller than Definitive Alternate Plumage. Note the worn and abraded, retained juvenile outer primaries and rectrices, indicating First as opposed to Definitive Alternate Plumage. Legs are also duller than in definitive birds.
Definitive Alternate Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
In Definitive Alternate Plumage, the throat, breast, and abdomen become brighter due to molt and feather wear; throat brighter tawny and nape and breast feathers silvery gray. Here note that most back fetahers and scapulars have been replaced but some worn basic scapulars and tertials remain. Note bright legs.
Definitive Basic Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Plumage is unique among plovers in having tawny throat and black patch on the abdomen. Crown and nape gray; mantle, rump, and wing coverts beige with much broad black central streaks; sides of head prominently patterned with wide buff supercilium and subocular stripe and distinct thin dark eyeline from lores to nape. Definitive Basic Plumage is duller than in Definitive Alternate Plumage but usually brighter than in Formative Plumage. Note uniformly basic scapulars and wing coverts and blackish basic outer primary tips.
Definitive Basic Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
Definitive Basic Plumage separated from Formative Plumage by basic scapulars and upperwing coverts uniform in wear and quality, basic primaries uniformly darker and fresher. Molt clines occur from more worn inner to fresher outer primaries (note here on underside of right wing) and with darker outer secondaries contrasting with more worn inner primaries (note on left wing). The throat and breast are duller in Definitive Basic Plumage is duller than alternate plumage and the black belly patch may be reduced, in part due to buff feather fringing. Note the mostly whitish underwing coverts.
Definitive Basic Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies pallidus).
Note uniformly basic scapulars and wing coverts. Plumage patterning can be duller in fresh basic plumage due in part to buff feather fringing.
Tawny-throated Dotterel undergoing Preformative Molt (subspecies ruficollis).
Preformative Molt occurs in November–January and is partial. Here, juvenile head and throat feathers appear to be mostly replaced and scapulars are being replaced with formative feathers.
Tawny-throated Dotterels (left-hand and right-hand birds) commencing Definitive Prebasic Molts (subspecies ruficollis).
Definitive Prebasic Molts occur primarily in December–March. The location of these molts relative to breeding territories is generally unknown; few Macaulay Library images show birds in active primary molt, indicating that they may inhabit remote areas or become more furtive during the molting period. The birds to the left and right have dropped inner primaries (among p1–p4) to commence prebasic molts. The relatively fresh and dark primaries indicate basic feathers being replaced during a Definitive (rather than the Second) Prebasic Molt. It is possible that the central bird is undergoing Preformative Molt and will not be replacing flight feathers
Tawny-throated Dotterel undergoing Definitive Prebasic Molt.
Primary molt has reached p7 and it appears that outer secondaries and central rectrices are commencing molt which reflects typical between-tract flight-feather molt sequence in birds. The rather fresh and dark unmolted primaries indicate basic feathers and Definitive (rather than Second) Prebasic Molt.
First-year Tawny-throated Dotterel (subspecies ruficollis).
During the first year the legs and feet become dusky pink then dull pink, matching the color of non-breeding adults. Note the slightly drooped bill and blackish-looking iris on this individual.
Lateral view (subspecies pallidus).
Dorsal view (subspecies pallidus).
Frontal view (subspecies pallidus).
Lateral view (subspecies ruficollis).
Dorsal view (subspecies ruficollis).
Frontal view (subspecies ruficollis).
Bird in its breeding habitat; Chubut, Argentina.
Bird in its breeding habitat; Santa Cruz, Argentina.
Bird in its breeding habitat; Santa Cruz, Argentina.
Bird resting in ploughed field; Santa Fe, Argentina.
Birds flying during nonbreeding season; Piura, Peru.
Birds in salt marsh; Córdoba, Argentina
Birds in their nonbreeding habitat; Salto, Uruguay.
Birds foraging on cultivated field; Tarapacá, Chile.
Tawny-throated Dotterel’ nonbreeding habitat; Coquimbo, Chile.
Tawny-throated Dotterel’ nonbreeding habitat; Coquimbo, Chile.
During nonbreeding season Tawny-throated Dotterel gathers in loose flocks for feeding.
Outside the breeding season Tawny-throated Dotterel gathers in flocks.
Tawny-throated Dotterel performing broken-wing display while being attacked by a Chocolate-vented Tyrant (Neoxolmis rufiventris)
Nest with four eggs.
Clutch of three eggs.
Clutch of four eggs.
Clutch of three eggs.
Bird incubating.
Downy chick with adult.
Chick hiding on the ground.
Bird molting into Juvenile plumage.
Juvenile.
Tawny-throated Dotterel is run over by cars.
Macaulay Library Photos for Tawny-throated Dotterel
Top-rated photos submitted to the Macaulay Library via eBird. Note: Our content editors have not confirmed the species identification for these photos.
