dunlins
Small coastal birds
Dunlins are small shorebirds with slightly curved bills, common along coastlines and mudflats across the Northern Hemisphere.
They're recognizable by their hunched posture and, in breeding plumage, a distinctive black belly patch.
Dunlins gather in large flocks that wheel and turn in synchronized flight: The dunlins rose from the beach in a shimmering cloud.
Small wading shorebird
- waderShallow-water walker
- peepBrief secret look
- stintFixed work period
- ploverCompact coastal wading bird
curlew · godwit · sanderling · knot · turnstone · redshank · snipe · oystercatcher
Thoroughly investigating something
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
- roostingSettling to sleep aloft
- flockingGathering in crowds
- murmurationStarlings in coordinated flight
feeding · wading · pecking · migration · breeding plumage · winter plumage · alarm call · territorial
Exposed shore sediment
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- tidal flatPeriodically submerged coastal plain
- shorelineLand-water boundary
- wetlandWaterlogged land ecosystem
salt marsh · intertidal · sandbar · lagoon · coastal · beach · wintering grounds · delta
Of intermediate dimensions
- juvenileYoung person or animal
- moltShed outer covering
- binocularsHandheld dual-lens magnifier
- spotting scopeHigh-powered observation monocular
birding · twitching · lifer · checklist · ornithology
sandpiper
Small wading shorebird
plover · curlew · godwit · sanderling · knot · turnstone · redshank · snipe · oystercatcher · avocet
probing
Thoroughly investigating something
murmuration · feeding · wading · pecking · migration · breeding plumage · winter plumage · alarm call · territorial · nesting
mudflat
Exposed shore sediment
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- tidal flatPeriodically submerged coastal plain
- shorelineLand-water boundary
wetland · salt marsh · intertidal · sandbar · lagoon · coastal · beach · wintering grounds · delta · mangrove
medium-sized
Of intermediate dimensions
- juvenileYoung person or animal
- moltShed outer covering
- binocularsHandheld dual-lens magnifier
spotting scope · birding · twitching · lifer · checklist · ornithology