The dotterel is a rare wader that breeds on high Scottish mountaintops and passes through England on migration, with welfare linked to upland habitat quality and climate change.
Dotterel welfare on breeding grounds depends on the availability of open montane heath with sparse vegetation and abundant invertebrates. Warming temperatures allow vegetation encroachment onto bare mountain plateaux that dotterel require for nesting. Snow cover duration affects chick survival as cold snaps after hatching cause hypothermia. Upland erosion control including deer grazing management affects vegetation structure. During spring passage, dotterel gather in traditional stop-over fields where they are vulnerable to disturbance and agricultural operations. The combination of climate pressure on breeding habitat and habitat change on migration routes makes dotterel welfare vulnerable on multiple fronts.