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Dunlin

Calidris alpinaOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Sandpipers (Scolopacidae)
Codes: Common Name: DUNL Scientific Name: CALALP ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176661
Least Concern
 
Dunlin
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Overview

Dunlin: Medium-sized sandpiper with black-streaked, red-brown upperparts, conspicuous black belly patch, and streaked breast. The black bill is long and slightly decurved. Legs and feet are black. Wades in shallows and uses bill to probe and pick up food. Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Dunlin: Breeds from western and northern Alaska east to Hudson Bay. Spends winters along coasts from southern Alaska and Massachusetts southward; also in Eurasia. Nests on tundra and winters on beaches, mudflats, sand flats, inland lakes, and river shores.

Topo Map: Sandpiper-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"cheezp", "kreeep", "treezp"

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.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Imran Kahn

Splitbar
Range Map for Dunlin

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Family Sandpiper (Scolopacidae)_blue
Species Calidris alpina
Length7.5 - 8.5 Inches
Wingspan15.125 Inches

Dunlin

Dunlin: Medium-sized sandpiper with black-streaked, red-brown upperparts, conspicuous black belly patch, and streaked breast. The black bill is long and slightly decurved. Legs and feet are black. Wades in shallows and uses bill to probe and pick up food. Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.

● Song: "cheezp", "kreeep", "treezp"

● Foraging & Feeding: Dunlin: Diet consists of insects, marine worms, small crustaceans, snails, and small fish. Wades in shallows and uses its bill to probe and pick up food; probes with a rapid up and down stitching motion.

● Breeding & nesting: Dunlin: Four olive, blue green or buff eggs marked with brown and gray are laid in a grass clump on a dry hummock on the open tundra. Incubation ranges from 20 to 23 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Dunlin: Rock Sandpiper has less black on belly and has yellow legs. Purple Sandpiper is darker gray above and has yellow legs.

Flight Pattern

Swift direct flight with rapid wing beats.
Dunlin Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Dunlin: Breeds from western and northern Alaska east to Hudson Bay. Spends winters along coasts from southern Alaska and Massachusetts southward; also in Eurasia. Nests on tundra and winters on beaches, mudflats, sand flats, inland lakes, and river shores.
BreedingMonogamous
Population
MigrationMigratory
Weight1.9 Ounces
Sandpiper-like BodyX
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX