Dunlin

The dunlin is a small shorebird with a neat, slightly downcurved bill. In breeding plumage, the dark belly stands out most; in winter it looks much plainer, with a brownish upper side and pale underparts.

It is strongly social outside the breeding season, often moving in flocks on migration and in winter. Along the shore it feeds in a brisk, methodical way, as if it is constantly picking tiny morsels from mud and shallow water.

It breeds in tundra and spends the colder season on muddy coasts, marshes, open flats, and low grassy ground farther south. It eats insects and their larvae, and on migration also takes snails, worms, and small crustaceans.