Dunlin

Name: Dunlin

Scientific name: Calidris alpina

Category: Birds

Nature Stars: 40

What are nature stars?

About: A small sandpiper, about 19cm long. In the winter they are plain grey above and white underneath, with a medium-length, curved dark bill and shortish black legs. During the summer, adults are brick red above, with a black belly patch and streaked black a

How to identify: Sandpipers can be a difficult group of birds to get to grips with. Unmistakeable in summer plumage. A little smaller than Sanderling and darker grey above, with a longer, curved bill. Larger than Little Stint. More compact and shorter necked than Green Sa

Where: A common winter visitor to our coasts. Nests on upland moors and bogs, and on coastal grasslands around the west coast of Scotland.

Natural Superpowers

• Predator: 40
• Agility: 60
• Rarity: 40
• Cute factor: 40
• Traveller: 80

Fantastic fact: The name comes from their nesting habitat: dun is old gaelic for hill and linne means pool or pond.

Photograph credit: Photo credit tbc