While many North Americans know this medium-sized (8-9 inches) sandpiper as a plain, gray bird of the winter shoreline, the Dunlin has a summer plumage which is much more striking. During the breeding season, this sandpiper is rusty-red speckled with brown above with a white eye-stripe, long black bill, black legs, and black breast patch. In winter, this species sheds its summer colors and becomes gray above with a white breast and gray throat. Male and female Dunlins are similar in summer and winter plumages. The Dunlin breeds across arctic and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, this species breeds primarily along northwestern portions of the Hudson Bay, with smaller populations breeding in Alaska and the islands in the Canadian arctic. Most Dunlin breeding in North America winter along both coasts of the continent south to central Mexico. In the Old World, this species breeds across northern Russia, Northern Europe, and Iceland, wintering as far south as the Mediterranean Sea, West Africa, South Asia, and the Oceania. In summer, Dunlins breed on relatively wet, boggy tundra. During the winter, this species primarily inhabits shorelines of sandy beaches, although some birds winter on agricultural land in California’s Central Valley. The diet of the Dunlin is comprised mostly of small aquatic invertebrates such as crustaceans and mollusks, although insects may also be eaten when available. Due to its remote breeding habitat, most birdwatchers never see the Dunlin during the summer. In winter, this species may be observed in groups probing the sand for food with their bills and running to avoid incoming waves. Dunlins are primarily active during the day.

Threat Status: Least concern

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) BREEDS: northern Alaska, northern Mackenzie, northeastern Keewatin, and southern Somerset Island south to coastal western Alaska, Southampton Island, northeastern Manitoba, and northern Ontario; eastern Greenland, Iceland, Sptizbergen, Novaya Zemlya, arctic coast of Siberia, Kamchatka Peninsula, and Sakhalin Island south to British Isles, Baltic region, northern Russia, and northern China (AOU 1983, Browning 1991). WINTERS: along Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska south to Baja California and Sonora, on Atlantic-Gulf-Caribbean coast from Massachusetts south to Florida, west to Texas, south to Yucatan Peninsula; in Old World from southern Europe and southern Asia to Cape Verde Islands, northern Afria, Arabia, Indian coast, and Formosa (AOU 1983); occasionally in Hawaii. Nonbreeders often summer in winter range. The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, is an important migration stop in western North America (Handel and Gill 1992). See Browning (1991) for information on the distribution of subspecies in northern Alaska and eastern Siberia.

Length: 22 cm

Weight: 60 grams

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater
• Marine

Comments: Nonbreeding: mudflats, estuaries, marshes, flooded fields, sandy or gravelly beaches, and shores of lakes, ponds, and sloughs (AOU 1983, Smith and Connors 1993). In central California, movements from coastal habitats to inland habitats occurred in conjunction with winter storms (heavy rain) (Warnock et al. 1995). On the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, major diurnal roost sites were adjacent to intertidal feeding areas, provided a unobstructed view of predators, and were close to shallow waters used for bathing (Handel and Gill 1992). Nests in wet coastal tundra (AOU 1983), grass or sedge tundra with pools and bogs. Nests on the ground, usually in drier sites such as strangmoor ridges.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Migrates mainly along coasts, smaller numbers in interior North America. Begins migrating northward along Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America in March-April, arrives in northern Alaska in late May. After fledging, juveniles move to coastal habitat in late July and early August in northern Alaska; adults move to upland areas. Departs breeding grounds late August or September. Breeders banded at Point Barrow, Alaska, were recaptured in October at Cape Lazarev, Siberia, and Sakhalin Island (see Browning 1991). Postbreeders roost in large flocks and feed on expansive intertidal mudflats of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, from July until early October, then to southeastern Asia and California (Handel and Gill 1992). Southbound migrants reach central California coast by mid-October. Often migrates in large flocks.

Comments: During the breeding season feeds primarily on larvae of flies and mosquitoes. During the rest of the year feeds on crustaceans, marine worms, mollusks, and insects. Migrants in spring in south-central Alaska relied heavly on clams, Macoma balthica (Senner et al. 1989). Consumes large numbers of horseshoe crab eggs in spring at Delaware Bay (Castro and Myers 1993). Runs around feeding areas probing mud and sand with bill.

>1,000,000 individuals

Comments: Morrison et al. (2001) estimated the global population to be at least 3,934,000, with North American populations ranging up to 1,525,000 individuals.

Nonbreeding: often in large flocks, which in some roosting areas may include 10,000s (Handel and Gill 1992). Often seen in association with sanderlings and other shorebirds.

Comments: Spring migrants in south-central Alaska rested during high tides and fed most heavily during falling tides (Senner et al. 1989). On the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, roosting varied with time of day, tide level, and season (Handel and Gill 1992).

Breeding begins late May to early June in the Western Hemisphere (clutches completed mainly mid-June in Beaufort Sea area). Both sexes, in turn, incubate 4 eggs for 21-22 days. Nestlings are precocial and downy. Young are independent in about 25 days (Harrison 1978). Often nests near other pairs of dunlins. In northern Alaska, up to 15 nests per sq km have been recorded in several areas of coastal tundra and sites a few miles inland.

Regular passage visitor and winter visitor.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Comments: See Browning (1991) for taxonomic information on dunlins from northern Alaska and eastern Siberia. Wenink et al. (1996) examined mtDNA variation among 15 breeding populations throughout the circumpolar range and found five major phylogeographic groups, each corresponding to a morphometrically defined subspecies, but other recognized subspecies were not supported by monophyletic mtDNA lineages within their purported ranges.