A visiting shorebird of tidal flats and other watersides that sometimes gathers in large flocks.
The bill curves slightly downward, and a black belly patch appears in breeding plumage.
At Portugal’s Tagus estuary, Dunlins’ feeding shifted from probing into mud to searching at the surface. Researchers filmed birds feeding at low tide in winter (January–February) and spring (mid-April–May) of 2009 and 2010, and sampled droppings and prey. Wintering birds often probed for small bivalves; northbound spring migrants more often searched for worms, exposed bivalve siphons and shrimp.
Worms and siphons were more available at the surface in spring, when estimated energy intake was 65% higher than for wintering birds. The study compared seasonal groups, not tracked individuals, so group origin and individual differences may also matter. Its observations and estimates describe mudflats at the Tagus, not all Dunlin populations.
IUCN Red List · Near Threatened (NT) · Global species-level assessment
IUCN’s 2024 global assessment lists the Dunlin as Near Threatened (NT), with a decreasing population trend. It estimates a 20–29% reduction over the past three generations, while noting uneven evidence among regions. The global estimate is 3–7 million mature individuals. The assessment identifies loss and degradation of tidal flats along the Yellow and East China Seas migration route as plausible significant threats. Trends vary among regions, and the drivers of decline remain unclear. It was assessed on 14 March 2024.