Little Stint
Calidris minuta
Tiny shorebird with extensive range across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Very rare vagrant in North America. All ages show dark legs and a straight, fine-tipped bill. Adults in breeding plumage are variably flushed with bright rusty orange on the head, neck sides, and upperparts, usually brightest in mid- to late-summer. Compared with breeding Red-necked Stint, note white throat and more uniformly bright wing coverts and scapulars on Little. Juveniles are typically quite bright and neatly patterned above, often with bold white stripes or "braces" down the back, and have very black-centered wing coverts and tertials. Nonbreeding birds rather plain pale gray and extremely difficult to separate from other small “peeps”. Note bill shape and overall structure. Temminck’s has longer tail and more crouched posture; Red-necked has slightly shorter bill and legs and more attenuated wings. Found in fresh and brackish wetland habitats. Occurs locally in flocks; elsewhere singles travel with flocks of other waders.
Identification
Its small size, fine dark bill, dark legs and quicker movements distinguish this species from all waders except the other dark-legged stints. It can be distinguished from these in all plumages by its combination of a fine bill tip, unwebbed toes and long primary projection. The call is a sharp "stit".<p>The breeding adult has an orange wash to the breast, a white throat and a strong white V on its back. In winter plumage identification is difficult. Juveniles have pale crown stripes and a pinkish breast.<p>An apparent hybrid between this species and Temminck's stint has been reported from the Netherlands.
Taxonomy
Genus: Calidris; Family: Scolopacidae; Order: Charadriiformes.
- Scientific name
- Calidris minuta
- Authority
- (Leisler, 1812)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Scolopacidae
- Genus
- Calidris
Range and habitat
Breeding range: PAL : high to low Arctic drier tundra of n Palearctic: far n Scandinavia, White Sea coast, s Novaya Zemlya, through n Russia to New Siberian Is. (ec Siberia). Non-breeding range: e PAL, AF, India : coastal and inland mudflats and marshes, s Europe, Mediterranean, Africa, w Madagascar, Middle East, c to s Asia.
- Breeding range
- PAL : high to low Arctic drier tundra of n Palearctic: far n Scandinavia, White Sea coast, s Novaya Zemlya, through n Russia to New Siberian Is. (ec Siberia)
- Non-breeding range
- e PAL, AF, India : coastal and inland mudflats and marshes, s Europe, Mediterranean, Africa, w Madagascar, Middle East, c to s Asia
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: rising.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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