Elseyornis melanops
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The black-fronted dotterel (Thinornis melanops) is a small plover in the family Charadriidae that is found throughout much of Australia and New Zealand. The black-fronted dotterel was formally described in 1818 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot under the binomial name Charadrius melanops. The type locality was subsequently designated as New South Wales. The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek melops meaning "black" with ōps meaning "face". This species was previously placed in the monotypic genus Elseyornis but a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2022 found that it was embedded in a clade containing members of the genus Thinornis. The black-fronted dotterel was therefore moved to Thinornis. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
As an adult, this small shorebird has an overall length of 16–18 cm (6.3–7.1 in), a wingspan of 33–35 cm (13–14 in) and a weight of 30–35 g (1.1–1.2 oz). The sexes are similar in appearance. It has a distinct black face mask, forehead and v-shaped band across the chest. Dorsally it is a mottled brown colour with the wings and crown of the head the same colour. This colouration...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Phillip Island Nature Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Fronted Dotterel sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 768 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 111th most-seen of the 249 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Fronted Dotterel in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in January to August, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-Fronted Dotterel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 5
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Black-Fronted Dotterel sightings, Brisbane ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Perth (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-Fronted Dotterel is recorded against all the birds logged in Brisbane (768 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
