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  Profile

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  In flight

Cranes & Waders

Dunlin

Calidris alpina

• uncommon
• 40 km/h
• Near Threatened

Forms swirling flocks of tens of thousands that turn dark and silver in the same second. Your message rides the wave.

Population

3,000,000–7,000,000 mature individuals, decreasing

Habitat

Coastal mudflats, estuaries, sandy beaches, and salt marshes in winter and on migration; nests on Arctic and subarctic tundra during breeding season

Fun fact

The Dunlin's name comes from "dunling," an English name for the species recorded at least as far back as 1531, referring to the dun-brown color of its nonbreeding plumage.

Range

Circumpolar Arctic and subarctic breeder across North America, Europe, and Asia; winters along temperate coastlines of North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia

Diet

Aquatic invertebrates — insects and larvae on breeding grounds; marine worms, small molluscs, and crustaceans probed from mud and shallow water in winter

Size

0.18 m

Wingspan

0.4 m

Lifespan

12 years