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Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis) Alternate name(s): "Red-necked Sandpiper" Size: 13-16 cm; wing span 35-38 cm Body mass: 15-50 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Red-necked Stints are very small waders. Their plumage is highly cryptic. During the non-breeding season they are all grey and white, with only the faintest hue of chestnut on their crown. The head, apart from inconspicuous, near-white eyebrows, is brownish-grey streaked with light-grey or white. The front, from throat to undertail coverts, is white. The nape of the neck is grey; the rest of the back is grey, with darker-grey central stripes on the feathers and light-grey to white edge lining, giving the plumage a "shingled" look. During the breeding season the head, neck and chest have a rich chestnut base. The crown is heavily streaked with dark-brown, the chest is streaked with white and the flanks are streaked brown. Only the frons and a small throat patch are white. While the rest of the front remains white, the back turns dark-grey, with a chestnut tinge and grey to chestnut edge lining. The eyes have dark irises. The black bill is straight and a bit shorter than the size of the head. The legs and feet are dark-grey. In flight the feet do not protrude beyond the tip of the tail. Juveniles have a chestnut crown with heavy dark-brown streaking, dark eye stripes and prominent white eyebrows. The flanks are grey-brown, with some dark streaking. The front is white, as the adults', but the back has higher colour contrast between dark-grey base and light edge lining than adult breeding plumage. Twitcher's tip Compared with (the larger) Sanderling, Red-necked Stints in non-breeding plumage are discernible by their clearly visible fourth, small hind toe. The correct identification of waders ("shorebirds"), e.g. of the Calidris, Tringa, Actitis and related families or of the Charadrius, Pluvialis and related genera in the field can be quite tricky. We have therefore made an attempt to give some advice HERE.

Taxonomy, classification See Red-necked Stint at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Red-necked Stint is available HERE . The breeding grounds of the Red-necked Stint are located on both sides of the Bering Sea, in far-eastern Russia, the Aleutian islands and northern Alaska. During their migration they follow the West Pacific rim (Japan, eastern China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines) to their wintering grounds in Indonesia, New Guinea, Oceania, Australia and New Zealand. Red-necked Stints are non-breeding migrants to Australia from the North. They are usually found in coastal areas, especially down the Australian East coast, to VIC and farther West into SA, up to about Kangaroo Island. They also migrate along the coastline of Tasmania, except the southern tip. Along the Australian West coast they can be found South of about the Gascoyne, up to the southern coast of WA, West of the Nullarbor. Apart from the Murray-Darling Basin they are only very rarely seen inland, and never in most of the Great Dividing Range and the great sandy deserts of eastern WA, the south-western NT and western SA. Red-necked Stints have a preference for saltwater and are therefore primarily found along the coastal waters. But they can occasionally be seen inland, e.g., in saltworks and also in freshwater lakes, including ephemeral lakes.

Sightings Click here for sighting information A small flock of Red-necked Stints was seen by us at Bundjalung NP, near Iluka, northern NSW, in February 2012. A single Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage was observed by us moving around with a small flock of Red-capped Plovers and Double-banded Plovers at Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW, in May 2012. Five birds were seen there, again in a flock with other species, in October 2012. Tens of Red-necked Stints were found at Goran Lake in December 2012. They all disappeared well before the lake dried up again. Two Red-necked Stints were found at the same location in February 2022, shortly after the lake had filled up again in late 2021. A mob of about 30-50 birds was found at the same location in December 2023. The species was found again at the same location in November/December 2025. Two Red-necked Stints were seen by us at a dam for aquatic birds at the Burren Junction Bore Bath in December 2013. B. Hensen reports spotting Red-necked Stints at Lee Point, Darwin, NT, in March 2013 and again in July/August 2013. The species was found at the same location by P. Brown in February 2020. H. Mouritsen reports spotting about 25 Red-necked Stints near Darwin, NT, in October 2015. J. Greaves reports finding Red-necked Stints in non-breeding plumage at Baghdad Lake, Rottnest Island, WA, in December 2015, and at Government Lake, Rottnest Island, WA, in February 2016. They were also found at Alfred Cove, Swan River, Perth, WA, in January 2017, and at Austin Bay, near Mandurah, WA, in March 2017. M. Eaton found Red-necked Stints at Nudgee Beach, QLD, in the time frame January/February 2018 and again in November 2018. They were also found at Flat Rock, Ballina, NSW, in February 2019 and again in January 2023.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Distant frontal view of a Red-necked Stint in near-breeding plumage
[Bundjalung NP, NSW, February 2012]

Lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in near-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, March 2013]

Near-dorsal view of a Red-necked Stint moulting into fresh breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Nudgee Beach, QLD, February 2018]

Lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in worn plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2013]

The same Red-necked Stint as above, now seen stretching (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2013]

Distant frontal view of a Red-necked Stint starting to moult into breeding plumage
[Bundjalung NP, NSW, February 2012]

NON-BREEDING

Frontal view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Flat Rock, Ballina, NSW, January 2023]

Frontal view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, December 2023]

Frontal view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, December 2023]

Near-frontal view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Alfred Cove, Swan River, Perth, WA, January 2017]

Near-frontal view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, December 2025]

Near-lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, December 2023]

Near-lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Flat Rock, Ballina, NSW, January 2023]

Near-lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Alfred Cove, Swan River, Perth, WA, January 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Nudgee Beach, QLD, November 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, December 2018]

Lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, December 2025]

Lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Government Lake, Rottnest Island, WA, February 2016]

Lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage foraging in shallow water (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Government Lake, Rottnest Island, WA, February 2016]

Lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage foraging in shallow water (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Flat Rock, Ballina, NSW, February 2019]

Lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage; note how the characteristic small hind toe is clearly visible
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Alfred Cove, Swan River, Perth, WA, January 2017]

Lateral view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage; note how the characteristic small hind toe is clearly visible
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Alfred Cove, Swan River, Perth, WA, January 2017]

Lateral view of two Red-necked Stints in non-breeding plumage, one of which with very worn feathers
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Port of Brisbane Wader Roost, Brisbane, QLD, December 2018]

Lateral view of 2 Red-necked Stints, one of which is stretching a wing, exposing the upperwing pattern
[Bundjalung NP, NSW, February 2012]

Lateral/dorsal view of two Red-necked Stints in non-breeding plumage
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, December 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage resting in wheat chaff
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, February 2022]

Near-dorsal/dorsal view of two Red-necked Stints in non-breeding plumage
[Goran Lake, near Gunnedah, NSW, December 2023]

Dorsal view of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage, with a Ruddy Turnstone for comparison
[Bundjalung NP, NSW, February 2012]

2

Comparison of a Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage (left) with a Red-capped Plover in non-breeding plumage, on the right; note the similar sizes (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, March 2013]

Comparison of Red-necked Stints in non-breeding plumage, left, with a Sanderling in non-breeding plumage, on the right; note the difference in size (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2013]

Small group of Red-necked Stints resting together with Ruddy Turnstones
[Bundjalung NP, NSW, February 2012]

Dorsal view of a Red-necked Stint at take-off, displaying its upperwing pattern (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Goran Lake, NSW, December 2012]

Dorsal view of a (small flock of) Red-necked Stint(s) in flight (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Goran Lake, NSW, December 2012]

Red-necked Stints in flight in a small flock, together with Red-capped Plovers and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers
[Goran Lake, NSW, October 2012]

Dorsal view of Red-necked Stints in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Lee Point beach, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

"Assortment" of waders, with two Lesser Sandplovers in near-breeding plumage, centre and front left, one Ruddy Turnstone in breeding plumage (front right), a second Ruddy Turnstone in non-breeding plumage (front centre), one Greater Sand Plover in breeding plumage (centre right) and a second Greater Sand Plover in non-breeding plumage (towards the back right); on the right and front right there are also two Red-necked Stints (the smallest birds in the photo) in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, March 2013]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Mob

Long-distance migratory birds such as Red-necked Stints need their rest - here they are using a mob of (usually quite alert, but not panicky) Red-capped Plovers as their "sentries" while snoozing
[Goran Lake, NSW, February 2022]

Closer look at one Red-necked Stint + Red-capped Plover "pair"
[Goran Lake, NSW, February 2022]

7 Red-necked Stints associating with a mob of ca. 70 Red-capped Plovers
[Goran Lake, NSW, February 2022]

Food, Diet

Lateral view of Red-necked Stints sifting through wash for crustaceans and other small animals
[Lee Point beach, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Near-dorsal view of Red-necked Stints sifting through wash for crustaceans and other small animals
[Lee Point beach, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Red-necked Stint in non-breeding plumage digging prey out of the sand of a beach (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Alfred Cove, Swan River, Perth, WA, January 2017]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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