{"id":14920,"date":"2014-05-09T05:16:04","date_gmt":"2014-05-09T11:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=14920"},"modified":"2025-08-18T06:34:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T11:34:16","slug":"dunlins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/05\/09\/dunlins\/","title":{"rendered":"Dunlins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DunlinDunlin on tidal flat – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
\nDecember 2008, Florida<\/span><\/p>\n

Dunlins\u00a0are small shorebirds that are found in North America which\u00a0exhibit remarkable differences between their\u00a0breeding and nonbreeding plumages. In winter Dunlins exhibit drab, gray-brown plumage and gather in large flocks on coastal mudflats and estuaries.<\/p>\n

\"Dunlin\u00a0Dunlin fluffing up after a bath – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/800, ISO 160, Nikkor 70-300mm VR at 300mm, natural light
\nMay 2009, Florida<\/span><\/p>\n

Dunlins in their breeding plumage are\u00a0much more colorful than in the winter,\u00a0they were once known as “Old Red Back” and “Red-backed Sandpiper” due to the rich chestnut colored feathers on the back.\u00a0They are\u00a0unmistakable during breeding season because of the red on the back and the black plumage on\u00a0their bellies.<\/p>\n

Dunlins feed by probing with their bill for clams, worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, small fish and plants. They also feed in seasonal freshwater wetlands and in flooded fields. Dunlins breed in Arctic and sub-Arctic moist tundra near ponds and prefer drier islands for nesting sites. The nest is a simple cup shape lined with lichens, leaves and grasses where they have one brood per year with around 4 eggs.<\/p>\n

Looking at the Dunlin<\/span><\/a> images above; in breeding and nonbreeding plumage, it is almost difficult to believe they are the same species.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my Dunlin photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dunlins are small shorebirds that are found in North America which exhibit remarkable differences between their breeding and nonbreeding plumages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":152590,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,232,25,704,2000],"tags":[4004,4053,999,5132,396,13900,4077,3997,4246,2535,235,274,3996],"class_list":["post-14920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-dunlins","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-pinellas-county-florida","tag-adult","tag-breeding-plumage","tag-calidris-alpina","tag-coastal","tag-dunlin","tag-dunlins","tag-gulf-of-mexico","tag-lagoon","tag-nonbreeding-plumage","tag-old-red-back","tag-red-backed-sandpiper","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-water"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dunlin-mia-mcpherson-nonbreeding-plumage-7903.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/s11Mom-dunlins","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5912,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/08\/16\/dunlins-in-breeding-and-nonbreeding-plumage\/","url_meta":{"origin":14920,"position":0},"title":"Dunlins In Breeding And Nonbreeding Plumage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 16, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Dunlins exhibit a vast difference between nonbreeding and breeding plumage, so different that a novice birder might mistakenly believe that they were two different species.","rel":"","context":"In "Dunlins"","block_context":{"text":"Dunlins","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/shorebirds\/dunlins\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dunlin in breeding plumage, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dunlin-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-1203.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dunlin-breeding-plumage-mia-mcpherson-1203.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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focusing on older posts that have shorebirds in them starting with Black-bellied Plovers.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Black-bellied Plover on a grassy dune at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/black-bellied-plover-habitat-mia-mcpherson-2585.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/black-bellied-plover-habitat-mia-mcpherson-2585.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/black-bellied-plover-habitat-mia-mcpherson-2585.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/black-bellied-plover-habitat-mia-mcpherson-2585.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35182,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/02\/01\/a-dunlin-running-along-the-shore-of-the-gulf\/","url_meta":{"origin":14920,"position":3},"title":"Dunlin Running Along The Shore Of The Gulf","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This Dunlin was just about finished molting into its breeding plumage and would have soon been on its way to the Arctic and sub-Arctic tundra to breed and raise its young.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dunlin running along the shore of the Gulf, Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dunlin-honeymoon-island-mia-mcpherson-6741.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dunlin-honeymoon-island-mia-mcpherson-6741.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dunlin-honeymoon-island-mia-mcpherson-6741.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dunlin-honeymoon-island-mia-mcpherson-6741.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27701,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/08\/22\/a-bathing-dunlin-at-fort-de-soto-county-park\/","url_meta":{"origin":14920,"position":4},"title":"Bathing Dunlin At Fort De Soto County Park","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This is a simple image of a bathing Dunlin from May of 2009 taken at Fort De Soto County Park that brings back wonderful memories for me.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bathing Dunlin, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dunlin-bathing-mia-mcpherson-1168.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dunlin-bathing-mia-mcpherson-1168.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dunlin-bathing-mia-mcpherson-1168.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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