A small wading bird of the sandpiper family with reddish-brown upper parts and a dark belly in breeding season.
Origin uncertain, possibly from 'dun' (the brown color) plus the diminutive suffix '-lin' or '-ling'. First recorded in the 16th century as a name for this specific shore bird.
The dunlin is one of the world's most abundant shorebirds, with millions migrating between Arctic breeding grounds and southern coasts every year—yet most people never notice them because they're so small and well-camouflaged.
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