Description:

Smallish, short-necked sandpiper with hunched posture; longish bill noticeably decurved, especially towards tip. Adult breeding has black belly. Adult non-breeding darker grey-brown than Curlew Sandpiper, with less distinct supercilium. Juvenile has streaked belly, rufous fringes to mantle and scapulars, and buff mantle.

Distribution:

Uncommon passage migrant through the central region of Gilgit-Baltistan, absent from east and west. Usually found near wetlands; including marshes, lakes, river banks, boggy areas and grasslands. From lowlands up to 3000m during passage migration.

Behavior:

Feeds mainly by probing, in quick manner, often interspersed with short runs; also by lunging and pecking. Worms often washed before swallowed. Diurnal and nocturnal forager. Diet includes insects, primarily adults and larvae of Diptera, craneflies, beetles, caddisflies, wasps, sawflies and mayflies; also spiders, mites, earthworms, snails, slugs and plant material.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Dunlin in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Dunlin

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.