Birds that breed in western Europe are short-distance migrants largely staying on western and southern European and northwest African coasts; those breeding in far northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The dunlin was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Tringa alpina.

[8] Ten subspecies are recognised:[7] Measurements:[10] An adult dunlin in breeding plumage shows the distinctive black belly which no other similar-sized wader possesses.

On the tip of the Dunlin's bill is a soft covering that fills with blood and with many nerve endings, forming a sensitive probe that is used to locate invertebrate prey in mud and sand.

Dunlin are small migratory waders, however they show strong philopatry with individuals of the southern subspecies Calidris alpina schinzii in Sweden and Finland returning to, or very close to, their natal patches.

The dunlin moves along the coastal mudflat beaches it prefers with a characteristic "sewing machine" feeding action, methodically picking small food items.

Insects form the main part of the dunlin's diet on the nesting grounds; it eats molluscs, worms and crustaceans in coastal areas.

The nest is a shallow scrape on the ground lined with vegetation, into which typically four eggs are laid and incubated by the male and female parents.