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Little Stint
(Calidris minuta)
 German name(s): "Zwergstrandläufer"
Size: 14-15.5 cm; wing span 27-30 cm
Weight: 20-44 g
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Little Stints are very small waders.
Their plumage
is cryptic.
The two sexes look alike.
In breeding
plumage
the head, neck and upperparts can have a strong chestnut hue,
although some individuals only show a buff tinge instead.
The frons, supercilia and chin are white, while the sides of
the head and the neck show some faint streaking. The rest of
the front is white.
The crown is prominently streaked dark-grey. The back is
chestnut and dark-grey, while the wing coverts have dark
centres, with parts of the feathers having broad chestnut
edges, others having white edges. The primaries are black.
In eclipse
the head and neck are grey with fine darker streaking. On the head
only the frons, lores, supercilia and chin are white. Under the
streaked grey neck and chest, the rest of the front is white.
The back and upperwings are grey, with darker feather shafts
and white edge-lining on the wing coverts. All buff to chestnut
hues disappear.
The irises are dark.
The bill, which is shorter than the size of the head, is minimally
down-curved and black. The legs and feet are also black.
Juveniles
are more similar to adults in
breeding
plumage than
eclipse,
with strong chestnut hues and a prominent pattern on the back
and wing coverts, in which white edge lining on the coverts
creates bold white stripes along the back.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Little
Stint at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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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 Little Stint is available
HERE
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Little Stints are a strongly migratory Eurasian species.
Their breeding grounds are located in the Arctic regions
of far-northern Scandinavia, eastward via the Kola peninsula
to northern Siberia.
Apart from sub-Saharan Africa (with the exception of the inland
areas of the Kongo Basin) they overwinter in primarily
(near-)coastal areas from the Atlantic island groups
(Azores, Cape Verdian islands, Canarian islands) via southern
Europe and northern Africa eastward into Asia Minor, parts of
the Middle East, the river Nile valley and the Euphrates/Tigris
plains and on, along the coastal fringe of Arabia and
south-western Asia to the Indian subcontinent,
the Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and parts of Thailand.
Only during migration are they found in the Atlas mountain range,
in North-west Africa.
Some vagrants have been reported from different locations around
the Australian coastal fringe.
In Europe Little Stints are summer breeding migrants to the
far-northern part of Scandinavia, parts of the Kola peninsula
and some locations along the north-western coastal fringe of
Russia.
They overwinter in areas along the Atlantic coastline southward
of Normandy, France, and along the Mediterranean coastal fringe
as far eastward as the Bosporus, including the Balearic islands,
the southern part of Sardinia and parts of Sicily. They also
stay in some suitable wetlands in inland Iberia.
During the breeding season Little Stints are usually found in
Arctic tundra, while outside the breeding season they are a
coastal species found often in estuaries.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
J. Pires reports first finding Little Stints
in Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, in October 2015.
Since then the species is found semi-regularly, mostly outside the
breeding season, in southern and central Portugal.
Others were found on Morraceira island, Figueira da Foz, Mondego
estuary, Portugal, in January/February 2023.
In May 2023, H. Dahlem-Senger found a Little Stint at
Salines des Trenc, Mallorca, Spain.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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Three Little Stints in breeding
plumage
with, on the right, a
Dunlin
in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Dafundo beach, Lisbon, Portugal, July 2019]
Lateral view of two Little Stints in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Dafundo beach, Lisbon, Portugal, July 2019]
Lateral view of a Little Stint in late breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a Little Stint in late breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
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NON-BREEDING |
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Near-lateral view of a Little Stint in non-breeding
plumage,
with, at the back, a
Kentish Plover
in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Moita do Ribatejo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2019]
Lateral view of a Little Stint in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montijo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, February 2019]
Lateral view of a Little Stint in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas de Olhao, Faro, Algarve, Portugal, October 2020]
Lateral view of a Little Stint in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas de Olhao, Faro, Algarve, Portugal, October 2020]
Comparison of a Little Stint in non-breeding
plumage with a
Common Redshank
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Morraceira island, Figueira da Foz, Mondego estuary, Portugal, February 2023]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Near-frontal view of a Little Stint; given the season and the
rufous hues on the bird's back, this is probably a juvenile -
note the prominent white stripes
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, October 2015]
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.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
