Dazzling in its breeding finery, with vivid rusty back and black belly patch, the Dunlin was once called the Red-backed Sandpiper. It’s now named for its nonbreeding plumage, a mousy gray-brown or “dun” color. Dunlin are an abundant species that nests around the world’s arctic regions.

Tidal flats, beaches, muddy pools; wet tundra in summer. During migration and winter, widespread in coastal habitats; mainly mudflats, but also sand beaches, rocky shores. Inland, occurs on lake shores, sewage ponds, flooded fields.

Found along the coast all year-round, the dunlin is a small sandpiper that breeds and winters in the UK. It can be seen in its upland breeding grounds in summer, when it turns brick-red above and sports a black patch on its belly.

Dunlin’s black bill is slimmer and longer than the pale-based PUSA bill. In spring and summer (alternate) plumage, DUNL has bright rusty upperparts; PUSA is dark gray with rufous or coppery flecks on the back (mantle).

Dazzling in its breeding finery, with vivid rusty back and black belly patch, the Dunlin was once called the Red-backed Sandpiper. It’s now named for its nonbreeding plumage, a mousy gray-brown or “dun” color. Dunlin are an abundant species that nests around the world’s arctic regions.

Sep 7, 2023 · The dunlin is an omnivorous shorebird and its diet depends on the season. In summer, they feed mostly on aquatic insects, like beetles, flies, midges, and other small invertebrates. During winter, they feed on small crustaceans, worms, molluscs, and small fish.

The Dunlin’s summer dress (chestnut back and black belly) is very distinctive, but in winter it has muted monochrome colours. In summer the Dunlin breeds on grassland and moorland, often in company of Golden Plovers, earning it the nickname of ‘Plover’s Page’.

Mar 3, 2023 · Dunlin (Calidris alpina) is a small, chunky sandpiper with a longish, slightly downcurved beak. In winter, they are pale gray and above and on their chest, and have a white belly. In summer, Dunlins have orange on their upperparts and a black belly. Big flocks of dull pale gray and brownish sandpipers on mud flats could be this species.

Dunlin can be found along the UK coast all year-round. In winter, dunlins feed in large flocks and roosts in fields and saltmarshes. In summer, it breeds in the uplands of the UK, with large numbers in the Western and Northern Isles of Scotland, and the Pennines in England.

The Dunlin is a bird seen mostly along mudflats and shorelines. It has a heavy bill with a slight downward curve and a large dark spot on its stomach when seen in breeding plumage.