Dunlin

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Estuaries; uplands (summer).
Diet: Invertebrates.
Best time to spot: UK's commonest small wader.

When to look

Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Dunlin sits in our Common tier for the UK: one of the birds you can expect on most days out in the right habitat. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK.

Where to see it

Reserves where the Dunlin is on the list:

• RSPB Minsmere
• Rutland Water

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Curlew SandpiperRare · Estuaries (autumn passage)
• Little StintRare · Estuaries (autumn passage)
• Red KnotUncommon · Estuaries (winter spectacles)
• Baird's SandpiperEpic · Pools
• Broad-billed SandpiperEpic · Pools (very rare passage)
• Least SandpiperLegendary · Muddy pools (very rare)

Kit that helps

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