Dunlin migration Calidris alpina
▶ Follow the dunlin across the big globe
Press ▶ to play the year. Line: a simplified typical route, joining the main cluster of GBIF records in each month (adjusted for observer effort).
| Scientific name | Calidris alpina |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 36 cm |
| IUCN status | Near threatened |
| Records mapped | 2,777,114 (GBIF) |
| GPS / geolocator tracks | none with an open licence yet |
Facts from Wikidata Q26650 (CC0).
When does the dunlin arrive in the UK?
Recorded in the UK in every season, so the records do not show one clear arrival date.
Bars: this species’ share of all UK bird records in GBIF (CC0/CC BY), by month, scaled to the peak month. Based on 199,348 UK records. Weekly counts from the GBIF occurrence search API (country=GB). Dates are read from records, not from a survey, so treat them as a guide.
Migration in the data
2,777,114 GBIF records (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 licences only) are mapped here, in 1.41° grid cells, month by month.
In Europe and Africa, the centre of the records (adjusted for observer effort) is furthest north in June (about 61°N) and furthest south in January (about 40°N).
Month by month: centre of records in Europe and Africa
| Month | Centre (latitude) | South of the Equator |
|---|---|---|
| January | 40°N | 0% |
| February | 40°N | 0% |
| March | 42°N | 0% |
| April | 43°N | 0% |
| May | 54°N | 0% |
| June | 61°N | 0% |
| July | 58°N | 0% |
| August | 54°N | 0% |
| September | 50°N | 0% |
| October | 46°N | 0% |
| November | 42°N | 0% |
| December | 41°N | 0% |
Tracked birds
No openly licensed (CC0 / CC BY) tracking data package for this species was found in the Movebank Data Repository yet, so only records are shown.
About the dunlin
The dunlin is a small wader in the genus Calidris. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from dun, "dull brown", with the suffix -ling, meaning a person or thing with the given quality.
From the Wikipedia article “Dunlin” (revision 1380663487), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources
GBIF occurrence records, licence CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, observations only (no specimens), filtered with: taxonKey=2481759&license=CC0_1_0&license=CC_BY_4_0&occurrenceStatus=PRESENT&hasGeospatialIssue=false&basisOfRecord=HUMAN_OBSERVATION&basisOfRecord=MACHINE_OBSERVATION&basisOfRecord=OBSERVATION. Monthly queries: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec. GBIF.org (23 October 2026) occurrence data accessed via the GBIF API; a GBIF download DOI is still to be added. Contributing datasets.