The dotterel is one of Britain's rarest breeding birds and one of its most striking. Males care for eggs and chicks while females actively compete for mates — a role-reversal that makes this species biologically unique.
Dotterel welfare on Scottish breeding grounds is affected by climate change altering vegetation at high altitude. The species requires specific plateau vegetation — open dwarf shrub heath and moss communities that are changing with warming temperatures. Disturbance from hillwalkers at traditional breeding areas is documented — dotterel are unusually approachable and may stand their ground when approached, making them vulnerable to disturbance without obvious stress signals. Spring 'trip' sites on traditional migration routes in England are used consistently across years — disturbance at these sites affects birds that are resting and refuelling for the journey to Scottish mountains. Traditional trip sites on Wiltshire and East Anglian downland should have observer codes of conduct.