Identification

Adult:  The back is light brown varyingly streaked with darker brown.  The underparts are white from the chin right through to the vent, broken by a Y-shaped black breast band.  The head has a brown crown and a broad black band from the lores through the eye to the nape, above and below which is white.  The bill is red with a black tip.  The legs are cream to dull pinkish-orange.

Juvenile:  Similar to the adult, but no breast band, the head is browner than the adult, the bill pale and the legs paler.

Confusing Species

Red-kneed Dotterel:   This bird is larger and a complete black crown.  Its band is not Y-shaped. The legs are red.  The upperparts are brown.

Red-necked Stint:  This species is smaller, streaked brown and should not be confused.

Monthly reports of Black-fronted Dotterel in Queensland

Monthly sightings of Black-fronted Dotterel

References

1. BirdLife Australia (2023). Black-fronted Dotterel. [Text before updates sourced from: Marchant, S. et al (eds) 1990-2006 Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds.Volume 1 to 7.] Birdlife Australia. Birdlife Australia. Source: https://hanzab.birdlife.org.au/species/black-fronted-dotterel/ Accessed: April 30, 2026 Time Zone: +10:00
2. Wiersma, P., G. M. Kirwan, and P. F. D. Boesman (2024). Black-fronted Dotterel (Thinornis melanops), version 1.2. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.blfdot1.01.2
3. eBird. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available:  http://www.ebird.org (Accessed: Date 12/4/2026)
4. Rogers A, Fuller RA & Amano T (2023) Australia’s migratory shorebirds: Trends and prospects. Report to the National Environmental Science Program. University of Queensland, Brisbane.