Oreopholus ruficollis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The tawny-throated dotterel (Oreopholus ruficollis) is a species of bird in the family Charadriidae, the plovers and their relatives. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. The tawny-throated dotterel is the only living member of its genus, though an extinct species O. orcesi is known from fossil remains. Some authors have suggested that the two deserve further investigation because they have different plumage.
The tawny-throated dotterel is 25 to 29 cm (9.8 to 11 in) long and weighs 120 to 154 g (4.2 to 5.4 oz). The sexes are alike and have no seasonal changes in plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies are mostly rich buff, with heavy dark streaking on the back. They have a white chin, an orange-tawny throat, gray neck and breast, and a small black patch on the belly. Their white underwing shows in flight. Juveniles have a buff throat, less dense streaking on the back, and paler underparts with a brown belly patch. Subspecies O. r. pallidus is very similar to the nominate but smaller and overall paler. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny-throated Dotterel sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 100th most-seen of the 114 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny-throated Dotterel in Galápagos Islands on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tawny-throated 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 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Tawny-throated Dotterel sightings, Galápagos Islands ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Península Valdés (Argentina, about 10%).
Same family: Charadriidae
The closest relatives of the Tawny-throated Dotterel that you can see in Galápagos Islands (family Charadriidae, Plovers and Lapwings) are Semipalmated Plover (about 30%) and Black-bellied Plover (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tawny-throated Dotterel is recorded against all the birds logged in Galápagos Islands (15 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
