DISSEMINATION
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DISSEMINATION |
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| Kingdom | Animalia | 
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| Phylum | Chordata | |
| Clas | Aves | |
| Order | Ciconiiformes | |
| Family | Scolopacidae | |
| Genus | Calidris | |
| Species | alpina | |
| Classification | Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Common name | dunlin | |
| Size | 16 - 22 centimeters | |
| Wing Span | 35 - 40 centimeters | |
| Male weight | 40 - 50 grams | |
| Female weight | 40 - 50 grams |
| Geographic Range | in almost all arctic regions. In Europe it is found form south to the temperate regions, where the dunlin occurs in wetlands. The breeding population extends from east Greenland, across the Russian Arctic to the Alaskan coast of the Bering Sea. An isolated population breeds in the east Canadian Arctic. |
| Physical Characteristics | it is one of the most widespread european limicolous birds. In its nuptial plumage the upper part of the head is dark, the chest is clearly streaked and the lower part of the body is covered by dark spots. During winter its plumage is characterized by the contrast between upper part of the body, gray coloured, and the lower one, that is white. Young have streaked chest and some dark feathers on the abdomen. Beak is long and curved. |
| Behaviour | when it is not nesting, it is gregarious. In spring pairs form and male begins marking his territory performing some parade flights: at first he ascends vetically, then he lets himself be carried by the wind. |
| Habitat | during nestin period it sets in circumpolar tundra as well as in marshes of temperate areas. In winter it occurs in large colonies on coasts, estuaries, lagoon and sandy beaches, as well as in ponds and inland marshes. |
| Flight | quick and direct. |
| Food habits | in the summertime it feeds on insects in wetlands. The rest of the year it catches a wide range of little molluscs. |
| Migration | it has different migratory strategies, that ranges form short coastal to long non-stop flights. |
| Nidification | female lays 4 green eggs with brown spots on them in a hole dug in the ground and well hidden by vegetation. Incubation goes on for 21 - 22 days and it's carried out both by male and female. Young are nidifugous and leave the nest very early. They are able to fly after 19 - 21 days. |
| Sources | |
| References | Oiseaux.net JNCC - Nature Conservation adviser to UK Government |
| Web References | www.oiseaux.net http://www.jncc.gov.uk/ |
| Source of the photo | http://www.ornitolog.republika.pl/ |
| Source of the call | http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/ |
| Source of the video | http://www.hbw.com/ibc/ |
Calidris alpina
