Dunlin Welfare at UK Estuaries Under Climate Change

Dunlin are the most numerous estuarine wader in the UK in winter. Climate change is affecting their distribution and welfare through altered prey availability and migratory timing.

Key Facts

Over 350,000 dunlin winter in the UK, making it globally important for the species
They probe mud and sand for invertebrates including Hydrobia snails and Nereis worms
Warming temperatures are shifting dunlin wintering distribution northward within the UK
Sea level rise threatens intertidal mudflat habitat at some key estuarine sites
Core wintering sites including the Wash, Morecambe Bay, and Firth of Forth hold internationally significant numbers

Welfare Considerations

Dunlin welfare at UK wintering sites is affected by the quality of intertidal invertebrate communities and disturbance from recreational and wildfowling activities. Climate change is shifting prey community composition, affecting feeding efficiency. Sea level rise without landward migration space threatens to reduce mudflat area at some sites over coming decades. Managed realignment schemes that allow saltmarsh and mudflat to migrate inland with rising sea level maintain future dunlin feeding habitat.

What You Can Do

Support managed coastal realignment projects that maintain future intertidal habitat
Donate to RSPB estuarine reserve management for wintering waders
Participate in BTO WeBS counts monitoring dunlin wintering population trends
Advocate for coastal development policies that protect intertidal habitat from development