Sandpipers · Shorebirds
Little Stint
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Calidris minuta
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How to recognize it
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Sparrow-sized, 12–14 cm
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Fine dark bill, black legs
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Breeding plumage with orange-ochre breast and white throat
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Quick, busy movements; sharp "stit" call
About the species
Little Stint is a tiny shorebird with quick, restless movements and a fine dark bill. In breeding plumage it shows a pale underside and a warm rusty wash on the chest and head, while winter plumage turns much plainer.
Its call is a sharp "stit". Outside the breeding season it often gathers in flocks with other small shorebirds on mudflats and the edges of inland pools, where it keeps moving and picks food from the mud. It nests on bare ground in a simple scrape, and the female may lay eggs in two nests with different males.
It breeds in the far north and spends the non-breeding season much farther south, from Africa to South Asia. It feeds on small invertebrates, especially insects and their larvae, and takes them from shallow water and muddy shores.
Where to find
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Along muddy pond edges, canal banks, and riverside steps — it darts at the waterline, picking tiny insects from the mud.
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After rain, check puddles and wet patches near water: Little Stint shows itself in quick runs and a sharp “stit” call.
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At shallow reedy margins and exposed silt by lake shores, feeding with rapid pecks and brief pauses.
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On migration, small flocks may gather on bare mudflats at city reservoirs or lagoons.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Calidris minuta Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Little stint Encyclopedia article