dotterel
Fearless wading bird
A dotterel is a small plover, a wading bird found in northern Europe and Asia.
The name comes from its reputation for being easily caught—it would supposedly mimic hunters' movements and let them approach.
This perceived foolishness extended the word to mean a silly or easily duped person, though this sense is now rare: The old dotterel believed every word of the swindler's pitch.
Also spelled dottrel.
Compact coastal wading bird
- shorebirdCoastal bird species
- waderShallow-water walker
- ornithologyScientific study of birds
- plumageBird's complete feather coat
beak · nesting · breeding · eggs · chicks · fledge · foraging · avian
Frigid treeless biome
- alpineOf high elevations
- shingleOverlapping roof covering
- riverbedFloor beneath flowing water
- moraineGlacier-deposited debris pile
steppe · grassland · coastal · upland · montane · gravel · scrape · breeding-ground
Obscure in meaning
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- blendCombine into mixture
- disguiseIdentity-concealing alteration
- colorationSurface hue arrangement
mottled · speckled · ground-nesting · camouflaged · adaptation · stealth · invisible · hide
Established bird migration path
- journeyTravel from place to place
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- winteringPassing the cold season
- breedingReproductive cultivation of organisms
passage · stopover · navigation · northward · southward · long-distance · route · instinct
Preventing waste or loss
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- declineDecrease or refuse
- protectionGuarding against harm
- vulnerableOpen to attack
predation · recovery · sanctuary · wildlife · biodiversity · monitoring · population · survival
plover
Compact coastal wading bird
- shorebirdCoastal bird species
- waderShallow-water walker
- ornithologyScientific study of birds
plumage · beak · nesting · breeding · eggs · chicks · fledge · foraging · avian · flight
tundra
Frigid treeless biome
moraine · steppe · grassland · coastal · upland · montane · gravel · scrape · breeding-ground
cryptic
Obscure in meaning
- concealmentAct of hiding something
- blendCombine into mixture
- disguiseIdentity-concealing alteration
coloration · mottled · speckled · ground-nesting · camouflaged · adaptation · stealth · invisible · hide
flyway
Established bird migration path
- journeyTravel from place to place
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- winteringPassing the cold season
breeding · passage · stopover · navigation · northward · southward · long-distance · route · instinct · flock
conservation
Preventing waste or loss
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- declineDecrease or refuse
- protectionGuarding against harm
vulnerable · predation · recovery · sanctuary · wildlife · biodiversity · monitoring · population · survival · endemic
approachable
Easy to engage with