Photo: Jevgenijs Slihto from Riga, Latvia / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Shorebirds

Dunlin

Calidris alpina

Dunlin (Calidris alpina) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of New South Wales Birds of Queensland Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Northwest Territories Birds of Nunavut

By family

Sandpipers & Allies of New South Wales Sandpipers & Allies of Queensland Sandpipers & Allies of Alberta Sandpipers & Allies of British Columbia Sandpipers & Allies of Manitoba Sandpipers & Allies of New Brunswick Sandpipers & Allies of Newfoundland and Labrador Sandpipers & Allies of Nova Scotia Sandpipers & Allies of Northwest Territories Sandpipers & Allies of Nunavut

See what's near you right now

The Dunlin (Calidris alpina) is a member of the Scolopacidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 51.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Scolopacidae Sandpipers, Snipes
Genus Calidris
Species alpina

Where it lives

Low (locally high) Arctic to temperate wet tundra of Holarctic: southwest to northeastern Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Is., northern British Isles, Scandinavia, Baltic states east through northern Russia including Novaya Zemlya (north of northwestern Siberia) and New Siberian Is. (north of east-central Russia), through Chukotskiy Pen., western Kamchatka, northern Kurile and northern Sakhalin is. (eastern Russia); Aleutian Is., western, northern Alaska, northwestern Canada, north-central Canada northern and west of Hudson Bay

Quick facts

Weight: 51.9 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Scolopacidae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Jack Snipe

Lymnocryptes minimus

Vulnerable

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Least Concern

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Least Concern

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Dunlin hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Dunlin is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Dunlin (Calidris alpina) is a species of sandpipers, snipes in the family Scolopacidae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in North America, Europe & Northern Asia — low (locally high) Arctic to temperate wet tundra of Holarctic: sw to ne Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Is., n British Isles, Scandinavia, Baltic states e through n Russia including Novaya Zemlya (n of nw Siberia) and New Siberian Is. (n of ec Russia), through Chukotskiy Pen., w Kamchatka, n Kurile and n Sakhalin is. (e Russia); Aleutian Is., w, n Alaska, nw Canada, nc Canada n and w of Hudson Bay.

Songs & calls

Dunlin — Nocturnal flight call

Recorded by Le Louaver Manuel Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Dunlin?

The Dunlin is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 51.9 g.

Where does the Dunlin live?

The Dunlin is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, PAL low (locally high) Arctic to temperate wet tundra of Holarctic: sw to ne Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Is., n British Isles, Scandinavia, Baltic states e through n Russia including Novaya Zemlya (n of nw Siberia) and New Siberian Is. (n of ec Russia), through Chukotskiy Pen., w Kamchatka, n Kurile and n Sakhalin is. (e Russia); Aleutian Is., w, n Alaska, nw Canada, nc Canada n and w of Hudson Bay, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Dunlin belong to?

The Dunlin (Calidris alpina) belongs to the Scolopacidae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Dunlin eat?

The Dunlin hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Dunlin migrate?

The Dunlin is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Dunlin endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Dunlin make?

1 real field recording of the Dunlin — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Dunlin's range?

The Dunlin has a mapped global range of about 4.8 million km².