Sandpipers, Snipes and Phalaropes (Scolopacidae)

Dunlin (Calidris alpina) - HBW 3, p. 526

French: Bécasseau variable German: Alpenstrandläufer Spanish: Correlimos Común
Other common names: Red-backed Sandpiper

Taxonomy: Tringa alpina Linnaeus, 1758, Lappland.
Formerly placed in genus Erolia. During recent years 5-13 races have been recognized, but validity of some obscure: suggested race centralis included in alpina; race hudsonia sometimes included in pacifica, and pacifica sometimes included in either sakhalina or arcticola. Nine subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

arctica (Schiøler, 1922) - NE Greenland; winters mainly in NW Africa.
schinzii (C. L. Brehm, 1822) - SE Greenland and Iceland through Faeroes and British Is to Baltic and S Scandinavia; winters in S Europe and NW Africa.
alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) - N Scandinavia and N Russia E to R Kolyma; winters from W Europe and Mediterranean to NW India, and sparsely to Bangladesh.

See all 9 subspecies

arctica (Schiøler, 1922) - NE Greenland; winters mainly in NW Africa.
schinzii (C. L. Brehm, 1822) - SE Greenland and Iceland through Faeroes and British Is to Baltic and S Scandinavia; winters in S Europe and NW Africa.
alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) - N Scandinavia and N Russia E to R Kolyma; winters from W Europe and Mediterranean to NW India, and sparsely to Bangladesh.
sakhalina (Vieillot, 1816) - R Kolyma to Chukotskiy Peninsula and Anadyrland; winters in E China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan, and perhaps in small numbers in W North America.
actites Nechaev & Tomkovich, 1988 - N Sakhalin; wintering grounds unknown.
kistchinskii Tomkovich, 1986 - N Sea of Okhotsk and Koryak Mts through Kamchatka to Kuril Is; wintering grounds unknown.
arcticola (Todd, 1953) - NW Alaska N of Seward Peninsula, and NW Canada; winters in E China, Korea and Japan.
pacifica (Coues, 1861) - SW Alaska S of Seward Peninsula; winters in W USA and W Mexico.
hudsonia (Todd, 1953) - C Canada; winters in SE USA and probably E Mexico.