Dunlin

📍 Local Expert Tip

“The Dunlin is much declined but a regular winter flock present on the mudflats opposite Coronation Green / Town Quay and between the Railway and Toll Bridges. Passage birds in breeding plumage turn up in Spring, often seen on the river edge anywhere between the Ferry Bridge and Toll Bridge.”

🔍 Overview

A small, active wader, the Dunlin is a familiar sight on Sussex estuaries and coastal mudflats during migration and winter. Large flocks can dazzle in flight.

🪶 Key Identification Features

Size: Small wader (17–21 cm)
Plumage: Winter: grey above, white below. Summer: black belly patch
Distinctive Marks: Down-curved bill, fast probing action
Bill: Medium, curved slightly downward
Tail: Short
Flight: Swift and twisting in flocks

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution

Common at Lower Adur SSSI, Goring Gap, and Worthing Beaches in winter and spring.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour

Sharp “trrrt” call. Often feeds in tight flocks, probing mud quickly.

🍴 Diet

Marine worms, small crustaceans, insects.

📸 Birding Tip

Look for flocks wheeling in unison over the estuary at high tide.