Dunlin

Calidris alpina (Linnaeus, 1758)

		adult spring winter plumage juvenile
2012-04-28 Mangystau oblast, Tubkaragan region 2014-10-28 Kuryk. Mangystau.2016-09-24 Sorbulak, Almaty	© Aisagali Kadirov © Askar Isabekov© Alexandr Katuncev

Description

Adult Dunlins in summer plumage have rufous crown with black streaks. Forehead, lore, supersullium, head-flanks and nape are whitish-grey black streaked. Back, shoulders and upper tail coverts are brownish-black with rufous edges of feathers; flank tail coverts are white with black tips. Underparts are white with blackish streaks; there is large brownish-black patch on fore-belly. Flight feathers are brownish; secondaries have much of white. Axillaries are white. Central pair of tail feathers is black-brown, other ones are grey. Bill and legs are black; bill is slightly down turned in terminal part. Eyes are brownish. In winter plumage adults have grey upperparts; underparts are white; but craw and fore-breast are grayish brown streaked. Juveniles are similar on adults in summer plumage but upperparts feathers are with narrower and paler edges of feathers. Craw and fore-breast are with grayish-buffy tone and little brownish spots. Other underparts are white with rounded dark-brown spots. Sizes: wing 105 - 125 mm, bill 27 – 40 mm. Weight: 38-61 gram.

Distribution

Dunlin occurs on migration throughout in plain part of Kazakhstan. The detailed distribution in Kazakhstan please see in the chapter "Races".

Biology

Dunlin is common, in places numerous passage migrant. Occurs on muddy, sandy or saline soil shore of lakes, pounds, rivers and various reservoirs. In spring appears in end March - early April on southern areas, and in end April - early May on northern, mainly in small flocks, sometimes up to 5 hundred birds. Latest migrants registered in first decade of June. At autumn adults arrived in July, juveniles in August, most birds migrate in second half of August - first half of September. The northern areas Dunlin leaves in the end of September, though some singles and small groups linger up to early-mid October, the southern area it leaves in the end of October.

Subspecies

Calidris alpina alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) Description. Rusty edges of feathers of upperparts have dark chestnut tone; there is large black patch on underparts; white strip on outer webs of the inner primaries is narrow and not touch the core of feather; dark core-strips on upper-breast are broad and contrast. Wing - males 109-113 mm, females 110-118 mm; bill - males 28.2-31.8 mm, females - 27.8-37.0 mm. Distribution. Occurs on migration throughout in plain part of Kazakhstan.

Calidris alpina centralis (Buturlin, 1932) Description. Rusty edges of feathers of upperparts have pale buffy tone; white strip on outer webs of the inner primaries is broad and touch the core of feather; dark core-strips on upper-breast are narrow. Wing - males 108-116 mm, females 114-120 mm; bill - males 28.0-33.0 mm, females - 33.0-39.0 mm. Distribution. Probably it occurs on migration in eastern and south-eastern Kazakhstan, including Markakol lake.

References

"Птицы Казахстана" том 2. Алма-Ата, 1962.
Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999.
Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005.