A small shorebird with distinctive long downward-curved bill and black belly patch in breeding plumage. Among the most abundant shorebirds.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The dunlin is a small wader in the genus Calidris. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from dun, "dull brown", with the suffix -ling, meaning a person or thing with the given quality.
Source: Wikipedia — Dunlin Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Medium sandpiper with a drooping bill tip. Breeding adult has a rusty back and a distinctive black belly patch; winter birds plain gray-brown above with a grayish breast.
Similar species. Other small sandpipers lack the black belly (breeding) and the drooped bill; the hunched posture and bill shape help in winter.
Voice. A harsh, rasping, descending 'kreeep'.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Invertebrates probed from mud, sand, or shallow water.
Behavior. An abundant shorebird that probes mudflats with a sewing-machine motion; gathers in huge, tightly coordinated flocks that wheel and flash in unison over coastal mud.
§ Range
Across North America during migration; Arctic breeders
§ Habitat
Coastal mudflats, estuaries
§ Threats
Coastal habitat loss, climate-driven Arctic warming, oil spills.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the dunlin is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support coastal protection. Reduce ocean pollution.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Dunlin
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Calidris alpina
- IUCN Red List — search for Calidris alpina
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Calidris alpina
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
