Dunlins are small, stocky sandpipers measuring 6.5–8.5 inches in length with a 12.5–17.5 inches wingspan and weighing about 1.6–2.3 oz. In their non-breeding plumage they appear dull gray-brown above and white below, with black legs and a slightly decurved black bill.
In Arizona, Dunlins are regular fall migrants and uncommon winter visitors, typically present August through November at a variety of wetland-associated habitats—mudflats, lake margins, sewage ponds, and agricultural fields—where they forage by probing shallow mud in small flocks. Fall counts from 2007–2024 average 20.5 individuals per season across up to nine counties statewide.
