A blog post published on June 2, 2014, on www.bird-lens.com attracted significant interest. The renowned ornithological journal “Der Falke” (Issue 10/2026) used a photo of a female Eurasian Dotterel (*Eudromias morinellus*)—taken at Saariselkä Kaunispää near Inari, Finland—to illustrate an article in the “Ornithologie kompakt” (Ornithology in Brief) section.
In June 2003, I had headed for Mount Kaunispää while on my way back from the Far North. This mountain boasts a truly magnificent tundra landscape. I drove my SUV along the cross-country ski trails. The weather back then couldn’t quite make up its mind; after the sky had grown increasingly overcast in the morning, the sun appeared only as a milky glimmer. It was a great moment when a Northern Hawk-Owl (Surnia ulula) suddenly shot across the tundra with a flight style reminiscent of a Merlin. Well, once you know what to look for, you certainly notice it. A colony of swallows had nested near the restaurant at the summit; they could be observed gathering nesting material at very close range. In the tundra area, Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) and European Golden Plovers (Pluvialis apricaria) could be seen. Somewhere out there, the Eurasian Dotterels had to be around. A local birder had pointed out the bend between the edge of the dwarf birch forest and the restaurant as the most reliable spot in the area; one simply needed patience and had to wait. Unfortunately, the Eurasian Dotterels did not oblige. I drove back and forth repeatedly—waiting, scanning, turning around, and walking. Nothing! Then, after two hours, just as I was driving all the way down and was almost back at the main road, two Dotterels suddenly appeared right beside me—as if out of nowhere. However, they were not particularly tame; as soon as I stepped out of the car, they flew off.
The article ” Mornellregenpfeifer: auf weiter Reise während der Brutzeit summarizes the findings of an ornithological study led by Bart Kempenaers. The study analyzes the extraordinary spatio-temporal behavior of the Eurasian Dotterel during the breeding season. The species exhibits a sequential polyandrous mating system with reversed sex roles. While the males alone handle incubation and the subsequent rearing of the chicks, the females abandon the nest immediately after laying their eggs. Using modern telemetry data, the research team documented extensive movements by females between nesting sites—known as breeding dispersal—within a single season. Some females travel thousands of kilometers across Northern European habitats to mate successively with new males and produce additional clutches. This pronounced spatial dynamic optimizes individual reproductive success amidst the volatile climatic conditions of arctic and alpine ecosystems. The findings revise the classic paradigm regarding rigid breeding territory boundaries in migratory birds.
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