dunlin
Small wading bird
A dunlin is a small sandpiper common along coasts and mudflats in the Northern Hemisphere.
It has a distinctive black belly patch in breeding plumage and a slightly down-curved bill.
Dunlins often gather in large flocks, wheeling in synchronized flight over tidal flats: We watched thousands of dunlins swirl above the estuary.
Small wading shorebird
- sanderlingPale wave-following shorebird
- ploverCompact coastal wading bird
- knotTied rope fastening
- godwitLarge wading bird, genus Limosa
curlew · turnstone · whimbrel · avocet · stilt · snipe · lapwing · redshank
Coastal areas exposed at low tide
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- tidelineShore's flood boundary
- wetlandsWater-saturated terrain
- saltmarshCoastal wetland with brackish water
tidepool · marshland · coastline · probe · invertebrates · crustaceans · mollusks · wading
Bird's complete feather coat
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
- beakHorny avian mouthpart
- wingspanTip-to-tip extent
- breedingReproductive cultivation of organisms
nesting · eggs · foraging · insectivore · call · flight · ornithology · ornithologist
sandpiper
Small wading shorebird
- sanderlingPale wave-following shorebird
- ploverCompact coastal wading bird
- knotTied rope fastening
godwit · curlew · turnstone · whimbrel · avocet · stilt · snipe · lapwing · redshank · ruff
mudflats
Coastal areas exposed at low tide
saltmarsh · tidepool · marshland · coastline · probe · invertebrates · crustaceans · mollusks · wading · aquatic
plumage
Bird's complete feather coat
breeding · nesting · eggs · foraging · insectivore · call · flight · ornithology · ornithologist · binoculars
migration
Movement to new territory
southward · northward · journey · stopover · overwinter · navigation · seasonal · biannual · departure · arrival