English: Dunlin
Russian: Чернозобик
Mongolian: Хар элсэг
German: Alpenstrandlaufer
French: Becasseau variable
Japanese:  ハマシギ (Hama-shigi)

Body length: 17-21 cm
Wing span: 32-36 cm

Breeds on low or high ground, in wet short-grass or tundra habitats. The region’s commonest small wader on migration (in autumn: ads. In late Jul-Aug. juvs. In late Aug-Oct) and in winter, then found in a variety of marshy or coastal habitats, but most numerous on tidal flats or on banks of seaweed on shallow shores.

Identification: Familiarity with different Dunlin plumages will provide yardstick against other species. It will also help in initially picking out other species as ‘something different’. Just under Starling-sized wader with variable bill length (see Variation), the shortest and straightest almost stint-like, the longest and most decurved approaching Curlew Sandpiper.

• Adult summer: Black belly patch diagnostic; variable rufous on mantle/scapulars, becoming more obvious through wear; ♂ brighter than ♀, with contrasting pale grey nape (brownish on ♀).
• Adult winter: Drab and rather featureless plumage is in itself rather distinctive, combining plain brownish-grey upperparts (fine whitish fringes, esp. on wing-coverts); rather clear-cut pale grey breast-band contrasting with white belly and finely streaked or clear white flanks; rather plain head with indistinct short supercilium; and usually fairly long decurved black bill (but beware long and short extremes).
  
• Juvenile: Dark brown above, neatly fringed pale rufous or rich rufous, usually with white scapular-and mantle –Vs; pattern of underparts distinctive, with neat breast-band of diffuse streaks and band of rather bold blackish spots on belly-sides leaving broad, usually unmarked white flank-band; whole head, nape and upper breast washed ginger, without obvious supercilium: even at long range, therefore, shows distinctive combination of rather plain gingery head, spotted belly-sides and white flank-band. Note variability of belly-side spotting, from often very dense (easily confused with moulting adult summer) to very rarely totally lacking.
  
• Variation: Three subspecies occur within treated region, differing in average bill length and brightness of rufous on upperparts: arctica (Greenland; winters mainly W Africa) shortest-billed, least rufous; schinzii (Iceland, W Europe; winters mainly W Africa) intermediate bill length ans rufousness; and alpina (Arctic; winters W Europe, Mediterranean) longest-billed, richest rufous. Only extreme individuals safely identifiable; ♀♀ average longer-billed than ♂♂, so shortest-billed individuals probably ♂ arctical schinzii, and longest-billed probably ♀ alpina.