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
- 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
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Taiwan Fulvetta
Fulvetta formosana
Very small endemic songbird with tiny bill and disproportionately large head. Gray above and below, with rich rufous wings, tail, and lower flanks, white throat stippled in brown, and yellow eye. The throat may appear puffy white (without stippling), depending on the bird's posture. Inhabits shrubbery, brushy areas, and bamboo stands in higher montane forests. Gives simple, high-pitched, two-note calls.
Yellow Wattlebird
Anthochaera paradoxa
A very large honeyeater. The adult has black and white streaking on the head, a gray body, a yellow belly, long yellow facial wattles, and a very long tail with a white tip. Juveniles are much less colorful and lack the long yellow wattles. Found in a wide range of habitats across eastern and central Tasmania, to which it is endemic.
Kashmir Nuthatch
Sitta cashmirensis
Unremarkable-looking nuthatch with a highly restricted range. Found in hill and montane forests; favors coniferous-dominated forest types. Slaty-gray with dark “extended mask” stripe and buffy-orange underparts (paler in female). Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch can be similar; note Kashmir’s pale throat, paler underparts, and unbarred vent in all plumages. Calls include a tortured-sounding nasal scream.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.