8

Dunlin

(Calidris alpina)
Size: 16-22 cm

Sightings

A Dunlin was first been spotted by us at Ras Al-Hadd, near the eastern tip of Oman, 250 km east of Muscat, in May 2010. Shortly afterwards seen again on a beach about 100 km west of Muscat.

Photos

So far we have only seen Dunlins in non-breeding plumage.

Close-up view of a Dunlin

Here a lateral view of the same bird as above

Near-frontal view

Here a lateral view with its head up

Two birds checking the water's edge for prey

Dunlin in flight

Habits

Here an example showing that Dunlins do scavenge.

This Dunlin was not standing where it is without a specific reason; however, the competition was strong

In the end, everybody got a decent bite

The competition can change

Food

Apart from hunting for insects and other small animals along the edges of shallow water, we have observed Dunlins scavenging on dead fish (see above). Dunlins were seen by us around salt water.

These pages are largely based on our own observations. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.