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    • Arctic 2012
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    • Great Saltee 2013
    • Great Saltee 2014
    • Scotland 2014
    • Japan 2014 >
      • Red Crowned Cranes
      • Snow Monkeys
      • Steller Eagle
      • White Tailed Eagles
      • Whooper Swans
    • Yellowstone Park 2015 >
      • Bison
      • Coyote
      • Elk
      • Grizzly Bear
      • Landscape
      • BigHorn Sheep
      • Moose
      • Pronghorn
      • Red Fox
      • Other
    • Scotland 2015 >
      • Osprey 2015
    • Africa 2015 >
      • African Elephant
      • African Wild Dogs
      • Antelope
      • Baboon
      • Birds
      • Hippos
      • Giraffe
      • Leopards
      • Meerkat
      • Warthog
      • Zebra
    • Falklands 2015 >
      • Birds
      • Elephant Seals
      • Penguins
    • South Georgia 2015 >
      • Birds
      • Seals
      • Penguins
    • Dovrefjell. Norway
    • Iceland 2016 >
      • Wildlife
      • Landscapes
    • Melrakki - Iceland
    • Puffins of Skomer Island 2017
    • Golden Eagles of Sweeden
    • Shetland Islands 2017
    • Antarctica - The Last Frontier
    • Big Cats and wildlife of Tanzania
  • Masterclass
    • Get down low
    • Fieldcraft
    • Composition
    • Lighting
  • Bird ID Help
    • Barn Owl
    • Bar Tailed Godwit
    • Bearded Reedling
    • Black Tailed Godwit
    • Common Kestrel
    • Dunlin
    • Great Spotted Woodpecker
    • Kingfisher
    • Marsh Harrier
    • Knot
    • Northern Wheatear
    • Reed Bunting
    • Ringed Plover
    • Sanderling
    • Siskin
    • Snow Bunting
    • Some British Birds of Prey
    • Stonechat
    • Wader ID Help
    • Winter Thrushes
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Dunlin plumage changes

Picture
An adult Dunlin in breeding plumage shows the distinctive black belly which no other similar-sized wader possesses. The winter Dunlin is basically grey above and white below. Juveniles are brown above with two whitish "V" shapes on the back. They usually have black marks on the flanks or belly and show a strong white wingbar in flight.

The legs and slightly decurved bill are black. There are a number of subspecies differing mainly in the extent of rufous coloration in the breeding plumage and the bill length. It should, however, be noted that bill length varies between sexes, the females having longer bills than the males.
Picture
The Dunlin is highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches. Large numbers can often be seen swirling in synchronized flight on stop-overs during migration or on their winter habitat.

This bird is one of the most common and best-known waders throughout its breeding and wintering ranges, and it is the species with which other waders tend to be compared. At 17–21 cm length and a 32–36 cm wingspan, it is similar in size to a Common Starling, but stouter, with a thick bill.

The Dunlin moves along the coastal mudflat beaches it prefers with a characteristic "sewing machine" feeding action, methodically picking small food items. Insects form the main part of the Dunlin's diet on the nesting grounds; it eats mollusks, worms and crustaceans in coastal areas.
Picture

Interesting Facts


  • Dunlin flocks are often huge, and are most impressive when they display their coordinated aerial maneuvers trying to escape predation by Peregrine Falcons and Merlins.
  • Hybrids between this species and the White-rumped Sandpiper as well as with the Purple Sandpiper have been reported from the Atlantic coasts of North America and Europe.
  • A group of dunlins are collectively known as a "flight", "fling", and "trip" of dunlins.

More ID Help


Barn Owl
Bar tailed Godwit
Bearded Reedling
Black tailed Godwit
Common Kestrel
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Kingfisher
Knot
Dunlin
Reed Bunting
Ringed Plover
Marsh Harrier
Northern Wheatear
Sanderling
Siskin
Some British Birds of Prey
Stonechat
Wader ID Help
Winter Thrushes


Useful Links
The Barn Owl Trust
The Hawk and Owl Trust
RSPB
Underwater Photography
Wildlife & Environmental Causes
Scottish Wildlife
National Geographic

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All images appearing on this website and its content are the copyright of John S Betts. All rights reserved.