Dunlin (Calidris alpina)
- HABITAT - Tundra-breeders, Dunlin typically nest in wet meadow tundra with low ridges and nearby ponds. During migration and winter, they prefer mudflats, but can also be seen on sandy beaches, coastal grasslands, estuaries, and occasionally in muddy, freshwater areas. They breed in the circumpolar Arctic and Subarctic regions and winter in a wide geographical area.
- DIET - On the breeding grounds, insects and insect larvae are the most important source of food. In coastal habitats, Dunlin also eat marine worms, small crustaceans, mollusks, and other aquatic creatures. When foraging, they either pick food from the surface or probe in the mud. They feed day or night, depending on the timing of low tide.
- FACTS - Females usually leave the family group when the chicks are approximately five days old. Male dunlins take over the parenting and stay with the chicks until they fledge at about 19 days old. Dunlins teach their young by leading them to areas that contain food. Parents don’t feed their young as chicks instinctively know how to feed themselves.
Dunlin GALLERY
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