Dunlin Calidris alpina Scientific name definitions
Revision Notes
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Species names in all available languages
Language | Common name |
---|---|
Afrikaans | Bontstrandloper |
Albanian | Gjelëza gushëzezë |
Arabic | دريجة ألبية |
Armenian | Սևախածի ավազակտցար |
Asturian | Mazaricu comñn |
Azerbaijani | Qaradöş qumluq cüllütü |
Basque | Txirri arrunta |
Bulgarian | Тъмногръд брегобегач |
Catalan | territ variant |
Chinese | 黑腹濱鷸 |
Chinese (Hong Kong SAR China) | 黑腹濱鷸 |
Chinese (SIM) | 黑腹滨鹬 |
Croatian | žalar cirikavac |
Czech | jespák obecný |
Danish | Almindelig Ryle |
Dutch | Bonte Strandloper |
English | Dunlin |
English (United States) | Dunlin |
Faroese | Fjallmurra |
Finnish | suosirri |
French | Bécasseau variable |
French (France) | Bécasseau variable |
Galician | Pilro común |
German | Alpenstrandläufer |
Greek | Λασποσκαλίδρα |
Haitian Creole (Haiti) | Bekasin vant nwa |
Hebrew | חופית אלפינית |
Hungarian | Havasi partfutó |
Icelandic | Lóuþræll |
Indonesian | Kedidi belang |
Italian | Piovanello pancianera |
Japanese | ハマシギ |
Korean | 민물도요 |
Latvian | Parastais šņibītis |
Lithuanian | Juodakrūtis bėgikas |
Malayalam | ഡൺലിൻ |
Marathi | करडा टिलवा |
Mongolian | Хар элсэг |
Norwegian | myrsnipe |
Persian | تلیله شکم سیاه |
Polish | biegus zmienny |
Portuguese (Angola) | Pilrito-comum |
Portuguese (Portugal) | Pilrito-de-peito-preto |
Romanian | Fugaci de țărm |
Russian | Чернозобик |
Serbian | Crnotrba sprutka |
Slovak | pobrežník čiernozobý |
Slovenian | Spremenljivi prodnik |
Spanish | Correlimos Común |
Spanish (Argentina) | Playero Dorso Rojo |
Spanish (Costa Rica) | Correlimos Pechinegro |
Spanish (Cuba) | Zarapico gris |
Spanish (Dominican Republic) | Dunlin |
Spanish (Ecuador) | Playero Ventrinegro |
Spanish (Mexico) | Playero Dorso Rojo |
Spanish (Panama) | Playero Pechinegro |
Spanish (Paraguay) | Playerito vientre negro |
Spanish (Peru) | Playero de Vientre Negro |
Spanish (Puerto Rico) | Playero Espaldicolorado |
Spanish (Spain) | Correlimos común |
Spanish (Venezuela) | Correlimos |
Swedish | kärrsnäppa |
Thai | นกชายเลนท้องดำ |
Turkish | Kara Karınlı Kumkuşu |
Ukrainian | Побережник чорногрудий |
Revision Notes
Shawn M. Billerman revised the Systematics page, and standardized the account with Clements taxonomy. Peter Pyle contributed to the Plumages, Molts, and Structures page. Arnau Bonan Barfull curated the media.
Calidris alpina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Definitions
- CALIDRIS
- calidris
- alpina / alpinum / alpinus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Introduction
The Dunlin is among the most cosmopolitan and well studied of all the small sandpipers. It is a familiar species throughout the year, either in its striking breeding plumage of black belly and rufous back (hence its previous name, Red-backed Sandpiper) or during winter when it is gray and nondescript but occurs in flocks of thousands or tens of thousands.
As many as ten subspecies of Dunlin breed in the Holarctic, three of them in North America, where this monogamous, territorial species breeds on subarctic and arctic coastal tundra from southwestern Alaska north and east to James Bay, Canada. During winter it occurs mostly on large estuaries along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States and northern Mexico; some Alaska birds spend the winter in coastal East Asia.
Clams, worms, insect larvae, and amphipods figure prominently in the diet of this species, reflecting its tie to coastal and intertidal areas throughout most of its annual cycle. In some areas such as the Central Valley of California and states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, substantial numbers of Dunlin move inland from the coast in midwinter.
The Pacific Coast population (C. a. pacifica), numbering about half a million birds, is substantially larger than the other two North American populations. Mortality in all populations appears to be greatest during winter, particularly from avian predators such as falcons. Despite the Dunlin's broad geographic range, populations of several subspecies appear to have declined in recent decades, perhaps because of continued loss and degradation of wetland habitats.